REPLY
Developing and Rewarding Good Teachers
Mark Linzer, MD;
Julia McMurray, MD; and
Mark Schwartz, MD
15 March 1994 | Volume 120 Issue 6 | Page 526
IN RESPONSE:
We agree completely with Dr. Sandroni. Indeed, programs to teach teachers [1, 2] have been described in the past, and promotion guidelines for clinician-teachers have recently been published [3]. These programs and guidelines must be more widely used. This requires a commitment of resources on the part of departments of medicine.
A more difficult question is why teachers are teaching poorly. Was it always this way? If not, what has happened to change the manner of teaching? Given the harsh comments of our students, it would be hard to support the notion that it is just the tolerance of the students that has changed! We need to find out whether career dissatisfaction is spilling over into the learning climate.
Dr. Schultz describes a lack of respect for internal medicine practitioners within the academic medical center, noting that this has been present for many years. Indeed, "income, status, and prestige" constitute one of the five factors in our career choice model, although it is mentioned less frequently than relationships with patients and learning climate issues. We agree with him that students sense whether colleagues or specialties are well regarded and incorporate these impressions into their concept of a desired career choice. More ambulatory-based learning experiences will offer students a chance to see and emulate well-respected community-based practitioners of internal medicine.
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Author and Article Information
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University of Wisconsin; Madison, WI 53792-2454
New York University Medical Center; New York, NY 10016
1. Skeff KM, Campbell M, Stratos G, Jones HW, Cooke M. Assessment by attending physicians of a seminar method to improve clinical teaching. J Med Educ. 1984; 59:944-50.
2. Hewson MG, Jensen NM. An inventory to improve clinical teaching in the general medicine clinic. Med Educ. 1990; 24:518-27.
3. Jensen NM and the Ad Hoc Interest Group on Promotion Guidelines for Clinician Teachers. Guidelines for promotion of clinical teachers. Society for General Internal Medicine News. 1993; 16:7-13.
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