Module 6: Teaching in the Ambulatory Setting

Precepting in the Outpatient Clinic

As patient care has shifted from inpatient to outpatient settings, the way in which we teach has also changed. Outpatient teaching, whether in a clinic, long-term care facility or community practice office, presents unique challenges for the preceptor. Time is even more valuable because there is an appointment schedule that patients expect physicians to follow. Teachers and learners are frequently interrupted. The teacher may be responsible for more than one learner, so planning for the teaching time is essential. The teacher-learner interaction is necessarily brief, so quality must be maintained despite time pressures.

How would you have to change your practice activities to precept a student or a resident? What are the disadvantages to having a learner with you? What are the advantages?v