Bedside Teaching in Developing Countries

Abstract

The patient’s bedside has been compared to a platform where budding doctors get an opportunity to actively engage, learn, and acquire new skills. It provides the best in-person professional environment for young medical graduates, staff physicians, and fellows to translate their theoretical knowledge into practical skills. The concept of human learning has been based on the evolution of varying theories of behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism [1]. Human psychology trains itself by constructive analysis of the varying experiences in day-to-day learning; in other words, exploring old information through the discovery of new information. This phenomenon has been termed as the ‘spiral learning’ by Bruner [2] a concept that is reinforced in bedside teaching. This emphasizes active participation in teaching by the mentee/learner, which is the ‘new normal’ for a didactic teaching format (Fig. 39.1). The importance of bedside teaching dates back to the fifteenth century, when Sylvius (1614–1672), a renowned French practitioner, voiced his thoughts on teaching on rounds [3]. He believed in the concept of daily teaching by asking questions about the various clinical signs and symptoms and inquiring from the students regarding their observations, thoughts, and perceptions relating to patient care. It has been shown by studies that history contributes to deriving 56% of the diagnosis [4] and a comprehensive physical examination can provide 70%.