Abstract
Effective clinical teaching is essential for the development of veterinary learners. Teaching clinical reasoning is a challenge for veterinary instructors as many lack adequate training in clinical teaching. In this paper, we propose the use of the five-microskills (FMS; also known as the one-minute preceptor) model of clinical teaching as a tool that can be used not only in teaching during clinical encounters but also during traditional teaching sessions (e.g., practicals). The FMS model assists the instructor in estimating the level of knowledge and development of the learner and allows for providing feedback. The FMS model is applicable in the busy clinical or teaching schedule of the instructor and requires training only of the instructor, not the learner. We provide two examples of the use of the FMS model, one of a clinical encounter and the other a biochemistry practical. From the examples, readers should be able to extract the basis of the model and start using it in their day-to-day practice. For proper use of the model, 1–4 h of training is usually recommended.
Highlights
Introduction a significant proportion of veterinary medical education occurs in clinical settings, the literature describing teaching strategies in this setting are limited
An improved approach to clinical teaching is to expand the clinical reasoning of learners by facilitating a new way of thinking [8,9,10]
It was reported that 5 of 12 studies showed significant improvements in the feedback given by instructors who were trained in the FMS model and in 4 of 12 studies, trained instructors were better at assessing clinical reasoning of learners, the differential diagnosis list, management plans, and presentation of disease scenarios [34]
Summary
A significant proportion of veterinary medical education occurs in clinical settings, the literature describing teaching strategies in this setting are limited. Feedback in clinical training of any medical profession, including veterinary medicine, is important for providing the learner with an opportunity to hear (read) about his/her performance, allowing them to gauge improvement over time. It was reported that 5 of 12 studies showed significant improvements in the feedback given by instructors who were trained in the FMS model and in 4 of 12 studies, trained instructors were better at assessing clinical reasoning of learners, the differential diagnosis list, management plans, and presentation of disease scenarios [34]. We hope that training in this model will encourage a deeper-level of learning by learners, including earlier development of ‘illness scripts’, which is recognized as a deficiency in veterinary clinical teaching [1]. It is not our intention to suggest the replacement of existing teaching skills but, rather, to describe alternative or additional tools that can be implemented in veterinary clinical and non-clinical teaching interactions
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