Teaching is a wonderful way to learn. In order to teach, residents must first have knowledge that is accurate and usefully organized. Teaching responsibilities are integrated into our residency program.
All residents participate in the introductory Resident As Teacher (RasT) Program sponsored by the University of Florida. Those with a particular interest in medical education are encouraged to participate in the full longitudinal program. This program offers workshops and lectures that are helpful in developing the resident’s instructional and evaluative skills. These are often held at night to ensure that residents are free to attend, regardless of their daytime clinical assignment. Residents qualify for certification if they attend 10 distinct training sessions over a 2-year period.
Medical students
All residents are expected to act as educators and ambassadors for the field of neurology when working with medical students during their four-week clerkship. Residents actively participate in:
- Informal topical teaching as time permits in the afternoons
- Preparation of student presentations prior to rounding
- Involvement of students in all facets of the resident inpatient rotation, including supervision of notes, entering orders, calling consults, etc
- Student achievement of minimal competency in neurology, including how to recognize, examine, assess and treat patients neurological disorders of high prevalence (such as stroke, headache, dementia, dizziness, seizures, back pain and common neuromuscular disorders), and how to recognize and manage (or refer) patients with neurological emergencies
- Residents with particular interest in education may assist with the clerkship lectures, problem-based learning sets, or lumbar puncture simulation
Medical students routinely evaluate resident teaching, and the Neurology resident who achieves the best overall assessment from clerkship students during the year will receive the Robert H. Watson Resident Teacher of the Year Award.
Teaching of residents and interns from other departments
Housestaff from Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Neurosurgery, and Pediatric Neurology routinely rotate on the inpatient neurology services. Neurology residents are responsible for providing an introduction to our field and inpatient practices. Most find that interactions with these residents are mutually educational.
Teaching of Junior Neurology Residents
Senior Neurology residents are formally paired with incoming neurology residents as mentors, and senior residents serve to provide constant oversight, teaching, and guidance of junior residents on all inpatient rotations, including night float. Senior residents are also responsible for team case presentations during Morning Report. In general, all residents are expected to take every opportunity to help their fellow residents learn.
A dedicated educational track is available for those planning a career as a clinician-educator.