Teaching Philosophy

The old adage, “see one, do one, teach one” which was the philosophy when I was a student in medicine is undergoing a revision with the utilization of technology. The new philosophy of teaching is more akin to, “you practice, I practice, we practice”. Simulation labs and virtual reality is the newest trend in medical training that presents a good opportunity for students but also presents a learning curve for facilitators as well.  (J. Jeffers, personal communication at MEHP Conference, July 31, 2017). Even the anatomy lab has become virtual which puts professors and anatomy teachers, such as myself, in a position where flexibility is a must (Sooraj, 2012).

Whether practice is in on a virtual patient, a cadaver or a real patient, the most important thing is competency.  It is absolutely imperative that students demonstrate competency on written and practical exams without excessive retesting. Effective virtual learning can help students become confident in a safe environment for students and for patients (Patow, 2005). However, I do believe that clinic based training helps to prepare students for pitfalls and presents a problem-based approach that may be unparalleled. The key is identifying those pitfalls to create a dynamic curriculum that prepares the student to achieve competency.  In an environment of high technology, a proactive approach is required by the professor to his/her own competency (Sakakushev et al., 2017).

​

In this changing teaching/learning environment, it is important to find a balance between teaching in simulation and real life practice. In doing so, competence must be also required of me as a teacher.   This is why I regularly look to improve as a practitioner through teaching.