Interview with John Dent, MMEd, MD, FHEA, FRCSEd

Why did you feel that it was important to write A Practical Guide for Medical Teachers?  What does your publication add to the field?  

Clinical teachers require more practical and background knowledge in medical education to deliver their clinical teaching roles.  

What is the most exciting aspect of A Practical Guide for Medical Teachers?  What chapter or topic covered in the new edition are you most excited about?  

This 6^th edition of “A Practical Guide for Medical Teachers” seeks to help healthcare professionals to teach and to  help students to learn.  The multi-professional, international authorship effectively delivers a wide range of  topics to an international readership combining practical guidance based on academic theory.  

Who will find the greatest value from A Practical Guide for Medical Teachers and why?  

All engaged in undergraduate teaching or postgraduate training in the healthcare professions. 

What new ideas, practices, or procedures do you hope your readers take away from A Practical Guide for Medical Teachers?  

This time the 6th edition highlights who we are as educators.  There are new chapters on professional identity, the roles of a teacher, equity , diversity and inclusion as well as the risks of burnout and stress. 

What problem do you hope the future generation of your specialty will be able to solve?  

The current challenge, as the world copes with the COVID-19 pandemic, is how to adapt and change our approaches to  medical education without abandoning the  primary  underlying principles of patient care and the  doctor- patient relationship.  

Is there anything else about A Practical Guide for Medical Teachers you’d like to say?  

The role of this book as a practical guide is ensured by its size and format, although it contains new topics it  remains comprehensive and concise. 

Dr. John Dent’s affiliations include International Relations Officer with AMEE, the Association for Medical Education, Dundee UK, Hon. Reader in Postgraduate Medicine, University of Dundee and was previously Reader and Hon. Consultant in Orthopedic Surgery, University of Dundee. 

Get your copy of A Practical Guide for Medical Teachers, 6th Edition here!