• Karen V Mann, Evelyn Sutton, and Blye Frank.
• Division of Medical Education, Dalhousie University, Room C-124, 5849 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2B3. karen.mann@dal.ca
• Med Teach. 2007 May 1; 29 (4): 301-6.

BackgroundResidents are frequently identified by medical students as their most frequent and memorable teachers; residents also teach their peers, junior and senior colleagues, other health professionals, and their patients. Many will teach in their future practice. Developing the skills to become a teacher is an important part of postgraduate education, and warrants a systematic, planned approach that may include many complementary learning opportunities.AimsOur purpose is to describe one such approach: a 4-week elective experience in medical education offered to postgraduate learners.MethodThe paper describes the background and goals for the elective, and the various steps in planning, implementing, and evaluating such a course, drawing on the literature and mining our own experience for examples. Specifically, we address the following: needs assessment; the determination and selection of content, sequence, and teaching and learning methods; the experiential learning opportunities offered; and the emphasis on the participants' developing self-awareness of themselves as teachers, and as part of a community of teachers.ResultsThe program implementation, program evaluation, and response to feedback received are described.ConclusionA 4-week elective experience in medical education was positively received by participants.

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