Planning a Teaching Episode

Abstract

The ability to teach as a doctor in general practice (GP) is not only a requirement for the GP curriculum but is increasingly being recognized as a key skill for any doctor in the modern National Health Service (NHS). The recent guidance document from the General Medical Council, ‘Duties of a doctor’ clearly states: ‘Teaching, training, appraising and assessing doctors and students are important for the care of patients now and in the future. You should be willing to contribute to these activities’. Long gone are the days when doctors were expected to know all they needed to know simply because they were doctors. New models of working and the drive for all new alternative providers of medical services practices to offer training mean that the ability to teach is also an attractive skill for you to offer to future employers. The types of people involved in teaching and learning in primary care are now more diverse than ever before. Working in a multidisciplinary team with other colleagues brings unique challenges that could see you feeling out of your comfort zone. This article will help you to feel more prepared to teach others, using the example of teaching about asthma.