Foundations of Rural Generalist Supervision: Supervisors Problem Case Discussion

We have previously described how to manage the ad hoc supervisory encounter, when the supervised doctor seeks help while the patient is present. In these encounters during the consulting day, the primary focus is on patient safety. In this module, we will learn about how to approach problem case discussion during teaching sessions or during breaks in the clinical day when you and the supervised doctor have more time for discussion - for example over lunch. Such PCD conversations are less time-pressured and can more freely explore the supervised doctor’s learning needs without undermining the credibility of the supervised doctor with their patient. There is an opportunity to both teach and assess the supervised doctor in the areas of clinical knowledge, reasoning skills and tolerance of uncertainty.