Understanding junior doctors’ experiences of teaching on the acute take: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: New medical graduates are significantly unprepared to manage acutely unwell patients due to limited first-hand clinical exposure in the undergraduate curriculum. Supporting undergraduate learning in the acute setting can be challenging for junior doctors when balancing teaching and clinical responsibilities. Our aim was to explore junior doctors’ first-hand experiences of supporting undergraduate education in the acute admissions environment(take). METHODS: Fourteen junior doctors in one teaching hospital in South West England took part in semi-structured focus groups (4–6 participants in each) which were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Junior doctors described their educational role as comprising: teaching, demonstrating, coaching, and supervising. They perceived the acute take as a highly variable, unpredictable setting that offered a broad scope for learning. Tensions between doctors’ clinical and educational roles were described, influenced by internal and external factors. Clinical work was prioritised over teaching and participants lacked confidence in supervisory and clinical skills. Doctors felt pressured to meet students’ expectations and lacked understanding of their educational needs. Senior colleagues were highly influential in establishing an educational culture and were often a source of pressure to deliver timely clinical care. Organisations were perceived not to value teaching due to the lack of provision of dedicated teaching time and prioritisation of limited resources towards patient care. Participants managed tensions by attempting to formally separate roles, demoting students to passive observers, and they sought greater continuity in placements to better understand students’ abilities and expectations. CONCLUSIONS: Educational opportunities for undergraduate students on the acute take are varied and highly valuable. This study provides insight into the provision of workplace education and its challenges from junior doctors’ perspectives. We highlight areas for improvement of relevance to educational providers.