Do medical lecturers need to be specially trained in teaching?
- Author:
Loh SY
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Medical education, teaching-learning theory, healthcare professionals
- MeSH:
Education, Medical
- From:Journal of University of Malaya Medical Centre
2008;11(1):12-17
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Over the years, the emphasis on research practices in healthcare has received more recognition than the
emphasis on teaching practices. Also, in contrast to the strong focus on aligning care-giving practices
with evidence of effectiveness; aligning educational practices with evidences of effectiveness has
continued to be neglected. This creates a chasm that hinders the delivery of effective health practices.
Many challenges in the current healthcare delivery system warrant a call for a revamp of health
professionals’ education, and for a greater focus in effective teaching, assessment and supervision.
This paper highlights the current challenges in health professional education (as revealed by the Institute
of Medicine, IOM, 2003). It focusses on fi ve key issues for promoting teaching excellence, and supports
the move for new lecturers to be educationally trained so that ‘teaching for learning’ becomes current,
effective and enjoyable. More importantly, the vision for health professional education that “all health
professionals are educated to deliver patient-centred-care as members of an interdisciplinary team,
emphasising evidence-based practice, quality improvement approaches, and informatics” can be
attained. This vision has important implication for medical lecturers as it means they have to be better
educated to teach in order to be prepared to meet the demands of a reformed healthcare system.
