A study on the characteristics of excellent lecturers in medical school.

PURPOSE This study analyzed the characteristics of excellent lecturers, as perceived by medical students, and identified the teaching competency that lecturers should possess to enhance the quality of medical education in medical school. METHODS To examine the characteristics of excellent lecturers and teaching competency, we administered open-ended questionnaires to a sample of 128 Year 2 medical students in May 2011. RESULTS The students placed high value on the ability to organize and summarize the lecture as the most significant competence of lecturers, due to the massive amounts of information that is disseminated in medical college. Further, they chose lecturers who communicated to students actively and used real clinical cases properly with regard to how medical knowledge applied. They also considered generating an interest in learning by linking knowledge and its application as an important priority of excellent lecturers. CONCLUSION We conclude that there are differences in the characteristics and competencies of excellent lecturers, as perceived by medical students and others. To increase the quality of teaching, it might be necessary to offer the opportunity to observe excellent lecturers, develop faculty development programs, and create educational culture.