how to teach & conduct a preceptorship

A New Way to Teach Seminars

• Realize everyone is different

Every therapist has their own methods. Without realizing it their procedures are probably using the described mechanism of action. To most effectively teach, the instructor must reach the therapist at their level and introduce the hypothesis to their way of practicing. The idea is to give the therapist a compass which they can use on their own ship. Another metaphor I use is to liken my teaching to a guitar with six strings. I can only show them a few tunes. The rest is up to them. 

…..Preceptorships

• Realize everyone is different

Again, the same as above but here the student can be taken into new waters. For example, the patient is suffering from vertigo since having  a concussion some years ago. Previous care has been ineffective. Is it a hypoxia problem in the bone, is it too high a pressure problem in the petrous portion of the temporal bone? To start our investigations we have to become familiar with the blood and nerve supply of the temporal bone as well as trans cortical vessels located there. With our compass in hand we are becoming very very specific. How will we load the temporal bone? What response are we looking for? In this scenario a preceptorship is best as the instructor can work with the student’s unique skill set to address this presentation.

A clear avenue to become an expert in very specific and perhaps yet to be defined conditions

• Realize no two cases are really the same

Many diagnosed cases that haven’t responded to previous care may in fact be mis-diagnosed. Take osteitis pubis for example. Perhaps the problem is an elevated intraosseous pressure at the enthesis. We can test this hypothesis by vibrating the compressing that aspect of the pubic bone…..Voila! You’re an expert.