Being an effective role modelDrs Margaret Kingston

& Leena Patel

You ARE a role model, but are you always a good one?

Being a positive role model is: A key attribute of a successful doctor A requirement of all UK registered doctors by the General

Medical Council

Education is an integral part of medical practice & learning form role models is an important aspect of medical education because: It teaches the application of knowledge and skills Influences career choices Is how our students and trainees develop professionalism

Students & trainees are aware of their role models - good & bad!

“I think a role model is the single best way to learn… if you can see

someone do it and understand how and why they do it, I think that’s

when you’ll get it”

“Enthusiastic about her discipline, involved students actively in the

work, excellent knowledge and practical skills, nice to patients, staff

and students”

“I’ve found my first rotation was very stressful, humiliating, I worked

and read because of fear…”

Personal considerations… Who are / were your

role models?

What was their influence on your learning and career choices?

Who are you a role model for?

What are your good and bad attributes as a role model?

ILOs for this workshop

“Research indicates that being a positive role model is a set of skills, attitudes and behaviours which may be taught and acquired by doctors…”

Define positive and negative attributes of a role model

Understand how learning from role models happens

How you can effectively teach through role modelling

Studies have established the attributes reported in medical role models:

Individuals who:Excel in their clinical knowledge and skillsThrough communication skills they maintain good

professional relationships Are effective and enthusiastic teachers

A tall order!Students & trainees have multiple role models,

learning different things from different individuals; the “composite” role model

How learning from role models happens

This is a complex process! Aspects have been explained through various learning theories:

Individuals learn “to talk, from talk”Students & trainees learn professionalism through

the “Hidden Curriculum” :This is a process of assimilation into a community of

practice, not only by possession of shared expertise, but also the development of professional values and standards

Cruess, 2008

Video clip (cardiac arrest, first episode, see youtube!)

• For those you consider to be acting as a role model in

these scenarios:

– What positive attributes of a role model are they

displaying?

– Are they demonstrating any negative role model

attributes?

– How could learning through role modelling be

improved in this situation?

Positive role model attributesPersonal characteristics

• Compassion• Caring• Empathic• Patient-centred approach• Excellent communication skills• Good inter-professional

relationships• Respectful• Good team player• Demonstrates leadership• Integrity• Honesty• Good sense of humour• Calm• Positive attitude

Clinical skill• Practically skilful• Demonstrates clinical

competence• Knowledgeable• Sound clinical reasoning• Ability to reach the correct

diagnosis• Strives for excellence• Presentation skills• Aware of own strengths and

weaknesses

Positive role model attributes

Teaching abilities• Taking an interest in students and trainees• Spending time with students and trainees• Enthusiasm • Patience• Provide clear explanations• Versatile, learner centred teaching style• Constructive feedback• Demonstrating clinical reasoning• Facilitation patient interaction and learning opportunities• Identifying opportunities for reflection

Negative role model attributesPersonal characteristics

• Making derogatory comments about patients or fellow professionals

• Inappropriate humour directed at patients or colleagues

• Lack of empathy• Unfriendliness• Complaining• Expressing anger or frustration• Bitterness and cynicism• Opinionated• Lack of confidence• Un co-operative

Clinical skill• Lack of knowledge

Teaching abilities• Forgetting names and faces• Excessive criticism• Frightening or humiliating

students or trainees• Promoting unnecessary

competition between students or trainees

How to MAXIMISE learning through role modelling

1. Attention: Drawn attention to the behaviour or skill being modelled by:I. Physically emphasising it II. Asking them relevant questions III. Providing an enthusiastic narrativeIV. Subdividing and explaining specific aspects of a complex skill.

2. Retention: This may be enhanced by adoption of the following strategies:I. Repetition of a skill or relaying of an important factII. Symbolic representation to create visual memoryIII. Drawing appropriate parallels or realistic exemplification of possible harmful effects

(e.g. giving telling examples)IV. Relating new to existing knowledge

3. Production: Provide experience with appropriate autonomy

4. Motivation: I. Awareness of motivators for learners including personal rewards such as enjoyment,

enthusiasm and dedication, financial gains or social status, professional autonomy or influence.

II. Increasing frequency and magnitude of observed rewards & concurrence with the trainee’s own aspirations increases the effect.

How to MAXIMISE learning through role modelling

Wright & Caresse, 2002

How to MAXIMISE learning through role modelling

Blue sky thinking….1. Remember – you are a role

model!2. Make time for teaching3. Explicitly model skills &

behaviours4. Recognise & use seminal events5. Provide experience & feedback6. Creating a positive learning

environment and culture7. Providing learner centred

teaching8. Show you love it!

When it gets tough….1. Time for teaching:

– “Teaching when time is limited – Irby BMJ 2008; 336: 384 ”

2. Competing priorities:– Demonstrate how these are

managed, including work-life balance/merge

3. Adverse work related pressures:– Explicitly model effectively

dealing with these

Time to have a quick go?

Feedback from role pay

1. The scenario2. Positive role modelling skills to be utilised3. Barriers to learning

Scenario one Positive role modelling

skills to be utilised

Barriers to learning from

effective role modelling

You are the tutor of a

Problem Based Learning

(PBL) group and during a

case discussion one

member of the group

expresses homophobic

and racist attitudes; how

do you handle this?

 

Patient centred

approach

Excellent

communication skills

Respectful

Positive attitude

Constructive feedback

Versatile learner

centred teaching

Personal opinions

Attitudes of other

students

Inappropriate humour

Excessive criticism

Humiliating or

frightening approach

Patience

Clear explanation

Scenario two Positive role modelling

skills to be utilised

Barriers to learning from

effective role modelling

You are in a busy clinic and a

patient who has recently

received a serious diagnosis

is very distressed. You have a

student sitting in. How do you

handle the patient and

effectively teach the student?

 

Compassion

Caring

Patient centred

approach

Excellent

communication

skills

Calm

Hot review

Identifying

opportunities for

reflection

Lack of empathy

Time pressure

 

Scenario three Positive role modelling

skills to be utilised

Barriers to learning from

effective role modelling

You are undertaking a

procedure with a student

in attendance, how do you

effectively teach the

student to do this?

Patient centred

approach

Practically skilful

Facilitating patient

interaction and

opportunity for learning

Patience

Explicitly demonstrating

skills

Lack of confidence

Time pressure

So, in summary, being a good role model is important!

Because, being a positive role model is A key attribute of a successful doctor A requirement of all UK registered doctors by the General

Medical Council

Furthermore, our students and trainees learn important skills and make important choices because of this: Through it they learn the application of knowledge and skills We influence their career choices It is how our students and trainees develop professionalism –

which has never been more important than it is now!

You ARE a role model; how can you be a good one (nearly) all the time?

1. Remember that you are a role model

2. Actively demonstrate your positive role model characteristics and skills

3. Actively demonstrate dealing with challenges

4. Create opportunities for authentic learner centred experiences with constructive feedback

5. Enjoy yourself!

ILOs for this workshop

Define positive and negative attributes of a role model

Understand how learning from role models happens

How you can effectively teach through role modelling

Thank you for your participation

Any last questions or comments?