What drives junior doctors to become involved in medical education?

Dear Sir

We read with interest the article by Lochner (2013) about the factors that motivate physicians to teach. As junior doctors with an interest in medical education, we believe that there are many reasons why junior clinicians are eager to participate in teaching activities.

We agree that interest in the subject matter and in the student’s development are key factors that motivate teachers. There is an altruistic desire to pass on useful knowledge to assist students and junior doctors throughout their career. Acting as a mentor and relaying one’s own experiences to help those who are more junior is a rewarding experience.

Many junior doctors may have little experience of teaching prior to starting work as a clinician. The foundation years provide a fine opportunity to start developing teaching abilities. Indeed in the UK, the General Medical Council states in its guidance “The Trainee Doctor” that Foundation Year 1 doctors must “teach their peer and medical and other health and social care students under guidance … using appropriate skills and methods” (General Medical Council, 2011). Many useful transferable skills, such as presentation and public speaking skills, can be gained through teaching.

While junior doctors often have subjects that they are passionate about and wish to share, a lack of specialisation at this early stage in their careers means that they are more likely to teach general examination or communication skills rather than specialist topics. For those who are undecided about career direction, teaching may help to identify areas of interest and encourage further exploration of a particular field.

Many of us teach to improve our own learning. We feel that it is one of the best ways of consolidating our own understanding of clinical topics: being asked questions by students can identify gaps in our knowledge that need to be addressed.

Teaching is a most fulfilling way of sharing some of our passion for medicine with those around us. Some medical schools already have initiatives where junior doctors can mentor students. Where these do not exist, we encourage junior doctors to organise their own teaching schemes as they confer a plethora of benefits to both the students and the teachers. Promoting early engagement with teaching activities will undoubtedly help to inspire the next generation of leaders in medical education.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.