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Practice pearls for providing leadership through teaching
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Throughout our years of training, we come across countless teachers — some who help us pass our courses, others who confuse more than clarify, and some who truly inspire. Many of these teachers are ingrained in our memories after more than two dozen years in school (yes, it has been that long).
After being a student for so long, I reached a point where I had knowledge to share, and my drive to teach began. It was rewarding to do my part in this “circle of knowledge” and pass on the experience, but I felt the burden of teaching as a weight on my mind and a strain on my already precious time. As a third-year fellow, I have had more time available for teaching and now appreciate that teaching is as much about my education as it is about the audience’s education. After being given the opportunity to present lectures to our house staff, I realized some of these benefits of teaching and found many parallels to being an effective leader as well.
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Certainly, every opportunity to teach is also an opportunity to learn because explaining to others forces you to know the material that much better. There is nothing like the threat of humiliation to make you study harder. Choosing enjoyable topics tends to make it more enjoyable to study. Part of this learning and enrichment process is keeping up with the literature. It is important that discussion material is relevant, and attending conferences and reading journals can help you stay abreast of the current thinking and controversies.
Becoming a memorable teacher
The question for me was how to become a memorable teacher? It takes time to develop these skills, but there are some tools that may help. Try to recall some of the qualities of influential mentors. What made them stand out — their knowledge, their sense of humor? For me, it was how they challenged the pupil, with just the right amount of pressure. Being called on in front of an entire classroom is a lot of pressure (and few can easily take on this challenge), but without a little fire, nothing gets cooked.
Never forget to teach by example. With medical students or residents, take any available time and use it. Break down a differential diagnosis, formulate a diagnostic algorithm out loud, and let others know what you are thinking. Medical students, residents and nurses are all watching to learn how to arrive at a conclusion, how to handle an emotional family and how to formulate a plan. Confidently, of course.
Teaching involves more than just demonstration and explanation. Great teachers point students in the right direction and then go one step further by asking stimulating questions for students to seek their own answers. As the Chinese proverb states, “Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.”
Great teachers take advantage of obvious “teachable moments.” The lecture has its place, as do work rounds, but let us not forget the patient’s room. Although diagnosis and treating disease is the goal, teaching (through counseling) the patient and their family is no less important. The ability to communicate with patients and family members makes you a real asset to your practice and to your community. It is probably the top reason why patients love their doctor. And since teaching is something you already do (with patients), why not make it fun, and be the best that you can be?
Ultimately, being a teacher is being a leader. Developing the ability to teach is an investment into your own leadership ability. Whether in academia, private practice or the business setting, these skills are of great benefit. The student you impress today may be your esteemed colleague tomorrow. The students you teach today will go on to take care of others in the future.
Now at the point in your career where you can give back and share your knowledge and experience, appreciate your value as a teacher and leader, and take your place in this circle of knowledge. The greatest teachers never stop learning. They also understand that a valuable lesson can come from the most unlikely of teachers. Do not stop learning, and remember where you came from. What better way is there to show appreciation for past mentors and teachers than to carry on their good work — and help out the next generation of physicians?
Justin A. Indyk, MD, PhD is a Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.