Teaching is a core professional responsibility for all doctors. The GMC states in Good Medical Practice 2024 that doctors should “contribute to the education and training of other doctors and health professionals.” Teaching experience is assessed in virtually every JCF interview, and it is particularly important for clinical teaching fellow posts. The specific question “How do you know you’re a good teacher?” is one of the most commonly reported JCF interview questions, and many candidates struggle with it because they have not thought about it in advance.
Types of Teaching to Reference
Formal teaching: Structured teaching sessions that you have planned and delivered. This includes: lectures or presentations (to medical students, foundation doctors, nursing staff, or allied health professionals), small group tutorials (case-based discussions, problem-based learning sessions), simulation teaching (using simulation mannequins, scenario-based training), bedside teaching (structured clinical teaching at the patient’s bedside with a learning objective), and OSCE examiner or medical school interview assessor roles (if you have volunteered for these, mention them — they demonstrate commitment to medical education and often come with formal training).
Informal teaching: Opportunistic teaching that occurs during everyday clinical practice. This is often undervalued by candidates, but it is genuinely important. Examples include: teaching an FY1 how to interpret an ABG on the ward, explaining a clinical decision to a medical student during a ward round, demonstrating a practical procedure (e.g., cannulation, catheterisation, NG tube insertion), or debriefing a junior colleague after a difficult clinical encounter. The panel values informal teaching because it demonstrates that teaching is embedded in your daily practice, not just something you do occasionally for your portfolio.
How Do You Know You’re a Good Teacher?
This specific question requires you to demonstrate reflective practice in your teaching, not just claim that you are effective. A high-scoring answer includes multiple forms of evidence:
- Formal feedback: “I collect written feedback after every teaching session using a standard evaluation form. My average rating across the last six months is 4.5 out of 5, and learners consistently comment that my sessions are interactive and clinically relevant.”
- Observed improvement: “I have noticed that foundation doctors who attend my teaching sessions on ECG interpretation perform more confidently when interpreting ECGs on the ward. One FY1 told me that she felt confident managing a patient with atrial fibrillation independently after our session.”
- Reflective practice: “I reflect on each teaching session and adjust my approach based on feedback. For example, after receiving feedback that my sepsis teaching was too lecture-heavy, I redesigned it as a case-based session, which was much better received.”
- Formal training: If you have completed any teacher training — such as a Teach the Teachers course, a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education (PGCert), or an ALS Instructor Course — reference it. These demonstrate investment in educational development.
The word “doctor”: A nice touch in your answer is to note that the word “doctor” derives from the Latin “docere,” meaning “to teach” — teaching is not separate from being a doctor, it is intrinsic to the role. The panel will appreciate this if delivered naturally, not as a rehearsed factoid.