Despite a long and worthy tradition, the hospital ward is not an ideal
teaching venue. Nonetheless, with preparation and forethought,
learning opportunities can be maximised with minimal disruption
to staff, patients and relatives. Approaches include teaching on
ward rounds (either special teaching rounds or during ‘business’
rounds, with or without pre- and post-round meetings); dedicated
sessions with selected patients; students seeing patients on their
own (or in pairs – students can learn a lot from each other) and
then reporting back, with or without a follow-up visit to the
bedside for further discussion; and shadowing, when learning will