Staff development for clinical teachers

From The Clinical TeacherVolume 2 Page 104 - December 2005

It goes without saying that no man can teach successfully who is not at the same time a student. Sir William Osler

The word 'doctor' is derived from the Latin, docere, which means 'to teach'.1 Interestingly, however, although all doctors are prepared for their roles as clinicians, very few are trained for their roles as teachers: 'the one task that is distinctively related to being a faculty member is teaching; all other tasks can be pursued in other settings; and yet, paradoxically, the central responsibility of faculty members is typically the one for which they are least prepared.'2

Professional development can help doctors to prepare for their roles as teachers, and is fundamental to career development and growth. Although the majority of doctors participate in continuing medical education activities, not all of them take part in staff development. My goal is to discuss staff development from the following perspectives:
•What is staff development?
•Why is staff development important?
•What are common goals and content areas?
•What are common formats?
•What is the evidence?
•How can clinical teachers devise a plan for staff development?

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