One of the requests we recently received as a future GP supervisor CPD topic after a recent workshop was a session on 'How to teach dermatology'. ReCEnT data demonstrates that the top clinical area for which registrars ask supervisors for help is skin, so this is clearly an important area. Historically I guess we have delivered teaching in 'educational' topics (feedback, RCA etc), with the occasional clinical sweetener mixed in. But I am not sure to the extent other RTOs have delivered sessions on 'how to teach' a clinical area, focussed less on the specific clinical entities but more on the overall approach to that type of problem (for skin, patterns and distribution etc). Does anyone know of a good framework that is amenable to a teaching session of 90 mins or so? This could be translated to other big ticket clinical areas like MSk and MH.
Simon Morgan

We have trialed the idea of Supervisors observing each others teaching sessions over the last few years both in SGPT and EVGPTraining
We have refined the process a bit and I have attached a link to a short YouTube clip about the process. We  sent it out to supervisors asking them to record a teaching interaction to share with their peers at supervisor workshops.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7HnrCxOIac&feature=youtu.be

Patrick Kinsella

One recurring thought I've had is about why we talk about supervisor professional development more than we focus on supervisor support. I think the latter is a different emphasis and there would be benefits from making this more explicit. I suspect this aspect is why workshops and courses that promote interaction between supervisors are usually well received. Sure there are lots of educational gaps to be filled, which will be helped by developing skills. But the longer I look at what matters in general practice and GP education it is a relational more than technical endeavour. Supervision is in essence about forming an alliance with learners so that they can learn the art and craft of general practice. 

I'd be interested to hear if others share this view and ideas on how we can keep the human and humane at the centre of supervision and supervisor 'CPD', and develop skills without reducing our craft to technical rationality alone. 

Susan Wearne