Tag Archives: Learners in Academic Difficulty

Making It Fun and Successful: Strategies for Working With Learners in Academic Difficulty

By La Donna Porter, MD, and Margaret Stafford, MD.

Have you ever felt frustrated or daunted when trying to help a struggling learner? We, the co-chairs of the STFM Group on Learners in Academic Difficulty, understand! And we want to help you experience the satisfaction of helping your learners reach their highest potential.

Below are key strategies that will help you assess and assist your own learners: motivational interviewing, creating a differential diagnosis for the behaviors, and developing target behaviors and plans. We also include cases, so read on to see how you can use these skills to work with:

  • A resident who refuses to admit a patient
  • An intern with disorganized presentations
  • A senior resident who struggles to lead the team

Continue reading