Maintaining Productivity

Balancing medical student teaching and patient care responsibilities is daunting for most clinicians. Experts (community faculty from busy practices who have taught medical students for years) have some tips for maintaining your productivity while teaching.

• Have the student see a patient while you see one or two others.

• Save any in-depth discussion of cases until the end of the half-day or whole day.

• If clinical questions arise, have the student do a literature search during his/her down time in the clinic.

• Ask your students to talk at length with patients you've been "meaning to talk to when you have time." Your patients will benefit from the extra attention, and it will give students the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills.

• Have students be responsible for gathering all ancillary information for each patient visit (e.g., test results, X-rays, etc.) so that you have everything you need when you enter the patient's room.

• Have your students conduct medication reviews with patients who take several different prescription drugs.

Chappelle KG, Blanchard SH, Ramirez-Williams MF, Fields SA. Off the charts: teaching students in compliance with HCFA guidelines. Fam Prac Manag 2000; 7(5):37-41.