Module 6: Teaching in the Ambulatory Setting

5. Feedback and Evaluation

One advantage of the outpatient clinic is the volume of patient interactions and the opportunities for immediate feedback. Feedback should be timely, specifically directed at a certain skill or activity, and repetitive. Please see the TALENT module on Feedback.

A nice way to end each day with the learner is with the preceptor's summary of the learner's performances. First, ask the learner to do a self-assessment of his/her performance. Next, point out instances of good performance and areas that require attention. Together, you can develop a plan for addressing the areas for attention.

Assign homework about issues or information that might be in doubt, misunderstood or need further study. The preceptor should remember to ask the student about the products of their homework. This can be accomplished by keeping a list of the things you have asked students to research or review, or having a routine 5-10 minute discussion about homework to start or finish the day.

It is the middle of the two-month block. You have been precepting with David for four weeks. This morning, David saw a patient who had been treated in the ER with atrial fibrillation. He asked for the guidelines on anticoagulation. Discuss three strategies for handling this request. You could find an article and give it to him the next day. You could ask David to search the literature and give you a copy of the guidelines tomorrow. You could ask David to present the case tomorrow before or after clinic and encourage other students and preceptors to attend.