The One Minute Preceptor Model of Teaching in the ED

This is a teaching strategy that most of us are very familiar with. Why? Because many, if not most, of us do it every day. We listen to a case, get a committment from the learner, probe for supporting evidence, and then give a teaching pearl and offer learning resources.

Perhaps one of the biggest pitfalls in teaching is NOT WAITING for the learner to answer to question. How often have you asked a question to a medical student and gave the answer? How often has a student presented a case and then they clammed up and didn't commit to a diagnosis or treatment plan?

A simple strategy for teaching success:

• Make learners "jump out there" and give you a diagnosis and treatment plan, i.e. get a commitment. Do your best to keep your mouth closed for a few seconds
• Give learners time to answer. You will be surprised. A few more seconds of waiting makes a big difference.