Trauma

The benefits of teaching at the patient’s bedside have been well documented and described. Ramani et al.1 identify these as being the demonstration of communication skills, the findings of the physical examination, the teaching of humanistic aspects of clinical medicine, and the opportunity to role-model professional behaviour. These qualities cannot be as effectively demonstrated in the classroom. In addition, bedside teaching also gives the teacher the opportunity to observe the learners.2 Despite the fact that bedside teaching is acknowledged for the unique benefits which it brings to the student’s learning, the time allocated to bedside teaching has been shown to be on the decline. El-Bagir and Ahmed3 report a decline from ‘75 % of teaching time 30 years ago to just 16 % by 1978’ and note that it is much lower now. Ramani et al.1 repor