Objective: To determine the qualities of a good medical teacher from a trainee's perspective, to evaluate the best teaching method, and to explore the association of specialty and level of training with teaching methods and qualities of a medical teacher.
Methods: The questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in two tertiary care teaching hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan, from July 2019 to December 2020, and comprised all house officers and postgraduate residents. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire that had three sections: demographics, best method of teaching, and the characteristics of a good medical teacher. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.
Results: Of the 135 subjects, 56(41.5%) were males; 79(58.5%) were females; 76(56%) were junior trainees; and 77(57%) belonged to surgical specialties. The overall mean age was 27.6±2.4 years. Best teaching method identified by the trainees was 'asking of problem-based questions' 46(33.6%). Good communication skills 61(44.5%), and calm and non-humiliating demeanour 61(44.5%) were the most frequently identified qualities. More surgical trainees considered the generation of competition among learners as the best teaching method than the trainees from other specialties (p=0.001). House officers reported 'unbiased' (p=0.001) and 'moral and ethical' (p=0.001) significantly more frequently as a good trait in their teachers compared to the residents.
Conclusions: The most important qualities in a medial teacher, as identified by the learners, were good communication skills and calm and polite attitude.
Keywords: Medical teacher, Teaching method, Teacher's qualities.