Learning How To Become An Effective Educator

While attending a highly renowned podiatric surgical skills conference recently, I had the opportunity to experience numerous hours of “hands-on” learning. Although performing various surgical procedures on fresh cadaver limbs was very educational, another pivotal concept came to my attention from a veteran podiatric physician with whom I had the pleasure of being his lab partner.

   He shared many podiatric pearls ranging from such topics as how to adapt to various complications surgeons may encounter in an operating room to practice management advice. Of all the guidance he so graciously shared with me, the most striking comment he made pertained to the importance of podiatric physicians learning to become better educators.

   At first, I was taken aback by his comment. In my personal experience, I have had the privilege of being exposed to a fair number of podiatrists who displayed a sincere interest in teaching.

   However, the more I thought about it, I had a realization. I have only been out of podiatry school for less than two years. Of course, an academic institution is filled with individuals who deliberately chose to share their talents and knowledge with students striving to obtain certain skill sets, but what happens after graduating from school?

   Just as in any other profession, there are specific subsets of career paths within the realm of podiatry. Some podiatrists are business savvy and choose to become entrepreneurs, while others are more introverted and decide to go into research and laboratory work. On the other side of the spectrum, some podiatric physicians are extroverted and find enjoyment in lecturing and sharing certain concepts with large groups of people. At times, it is difficult to identify personal strengths and weaknesses. A self-evaluation must occur as part of the process of finding your niche. Often, this is not something that happens overnight but may take years to achieve.

   After establishing an awareness of your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, it is essential to maximize your experiences in whatever realm of podiatry that you choose to practice. Indeed, it may take years to develop expertise in a particular area of podiatry.

   For this reason, it is even more important to identify what you enjoy most about the profession and capitalize on it. For example, if during school and residency, you found gratification in working with students and had an insatiable quest for acquiring new knowledge, perhaps you would make a good faculty member at an academic institution or should look into becoming affiliated with a residency program.

   Regardless of your ultimate pursuit, be true to yourself. If not, both you and the individuals you interact with will unnecessarily suffer.

   Another idea sparked by the veteran podiatric physician’s comment was that on a daily basis, podiatrists are responsible for educating their patients. In most communities, the days of trusting a doctor and just taking his or her word for it are over. With access to the various credible and even more non-credible sources on the Internet, it is not uncommon for patients to present with printed papers exhibiting their self-diagnosis. There is definitely an art to conveying information about disease states and treatment options to patients.

   It was not until my clinical experiences interacting one-on-one with patients that I began to truly understand the importance of education. In order to be a phenomenal doctor, it is absolutely necessary to know how to properly educate your patients about their ailments and care. The basis for human behavior is molded by nature and nurture. As a result, various learning styles exist among the population.

   There are many challenges that come with being an effective educator. In order to overcome these hurdles, it may be necessary to research different teaching models, observe other educators and to openly allow those who you teach to provide critiques. While one may obtain a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree, it does not mean that you cannot seek further education in other disciplines such as education.

   Individuals devote countless hours to their profession. For this reason, it is essential that one selects a fulfilling career path. People are motivated by a variety of factors. A great team begins with strong leaders. Keep this principle in mind when you have an opportunity to educate future podiatric physicians.

   Dr. Ryans is a second-year resident at SSM DePaul Health Center in St. Louis.

   Dr. McCord retired in December 2008 from practice at the Centralia Medical Center in Centralia, Wash.