Dilemma in Medical Education: who is a good medical teacher?

Abstract

Purpose: The qualities of a medical teacher are many, ranging from lecturing to role modelling and motivating students, in addition to being an expert and knowledgeable in his/her area. The present article attempts to answer certain questions to identify whether the composite of the criteria listed in the text can describe a good medical teacher. Methodology: We compiled a list of the qualities expected from a medical teacher and suggested a grading system to guide medical schools in assessing teachers. The intention is not to define the “best”, but the “good” teacher. Results : The grading relies on 10 criteria to be assessed by different stakeholders, thus, to give a 360 0 assessment. The present article describes an innovative system, where the listed criteria can be scored and converted to a scale out of 100. Conclusion: We suggest that a “good” medical teacher should score at least 80 out of 100 with these criteria, but it may vary from one institution to another.