Being a Great Clinic Instructor

There are many different opinions on what an excellent clinical instructor is. I have one word that I believe sums it all up and that is someone who is passionate about what they are teaching. I truly believe if someone is passionate about something, they do everything in their power to pass this passion on to others. If someone is not passionate in the clinical setting they are not going to take interest in students, they are going to have a poor attitude, they are not going to care whether you pass or fail. I can remember several times in my experience where some clinical faculty not knowing that we could heard them, sitting in the lab saying they could be doing better things with their time. In my opinion if this is how you feel then go do that "better" something. The last thing students want to hear is that you do not want to be in their presences.

The particular clinical instructor that I thought was excellent most students would beg to differ, and it took me after I graduated to realize that she was the one that made the most impact on me. Why would other students beg to differ? She had a very strong bold personality and communicated in such way that would make some students cry. No one really ever cried, she was just to the point and knew what she expected from each student. She did not judge you and she did provide constructive criticism just in a different manner. I remember thinking in clinical " I hope I do not have this particular instructor today" yet at the same time ,I knew that I had to know everything perfectly. Did the article last week not say that the students preferred an instructor who knew what they were doing and made the students aware of expectations? This instructor was on time each day and very efficient. We never had to wait on her for anything which was important because we wanted to get as much done as fast as we could. If anyone was more aware of understanding the curriculum she was it! If you did not know what other classes you needed to take she could give you the list of courses that were being offered on campus. That was the thing with this instructor, she knew your needs and would do anything for you. I started off being afraid of this instructor but after graduation I knew that if I ever wanted to be a clinical instructor she would be the one I would want follow.

I believe I carry many attributes that would lead me to be an excellent clinical instructor, yet at the same time I still have many that I would need to work on. Patience is one of them, I need to understand that the students are not going to get things down on the first try! Life would be mush easier if they did but unfortunately it is not reality. I believe being a role model is very important, not only in the clinical setting but every day life. I have a very laid back easy-going personality and sometimes I forget that people such as my family, friends and co-workers look up to me as a role model. I believe we are all capable of being excellent clinical instructors we just need to except the fact that no one is perfect and through our experiences we will become better each day!!