I want to share the experience of my first GP training teaching day as I felt the Training Programme Director (TPD) took a very creative and out-of-the-box approach to begin the session.
Questions
The TPD handed blank A4 papers to all the trainees. She asked us to write our names on these papers. She then asked us to write two questions on these papers. The first question was related to our academic careers and the second was linked to our personal lives. The two questions I wrote were:
- What would you be if you were not a GP trainee?
- Which TV show are you currently watching on Netflix?
Making the Planes
The TPD asked us to make planes out of these papers. It was interesting to see that a few of us were able to make perfect planes. But most of us, including myself, were not able to shape our planes properly. You can see my effort in the picture above.
Flying the Planes
She then asked us to fly these planes. This was the fun part. Imagine dozens of flying paper planes all over the auditorium.
Catching the Planes
We were then asked to catch each others’ planes. On catching the plane, we had to read the person’s name and find them in the crowd.
Breaking the Ice
On finding this person, the task was to answer their questions and to use this as an ice breaker. I honestly was not sure if this activity was going to be productive. But it brought out a child in all of us. And it made us connect. Soon, the room was buzzing with conversations in every corner. Doctors who had been quiet a few moments ago were now actively chatting.
Discussing the Answers
The TPD then asked each trainee to share their answers. Some of the answers were funny and made all of us laugh. Overall, this activity made all of us familiar with each other and served its purpose; it broke the ice.
Teaching
This was followed by teaching. We were made familiar with different consultation models. We had an interactive session where we discussed common presentations.
Lunch
Lunch was sponsored by one of the pharmaceutical companies.
Highlights from My First Teaching
- Making and flying paper planes
- Getting familiar with most of my colleagues
- Learning consultation models and discussing common presentations
- Free lunch
