12/03/2026
From outpatient clinics to emergency departments and general practice, 'learning by doing' in real clinical settings provides rich and meaningful educational experiences.
As medical students scaffold their learning through active involvement in patient care, they gain a vital understanding of what it feels like to be a doctor.
Often, this learning involves being given slightly more responsibility than expected.
However, it is during these important learning moments that clinical supervisors play a critical role in providing support and oversight to ensure both student development and safe patient care.
We spoke to Gerry Gormley, GP and Clinical Skills Education Centre lead, and Kathy M Cullen
respiratory physician and clinical academic, about accountability in the supervision of medical students in general practice.
Read about the role of clinical supervisors and how to support GP tutors: https://mdujournal.themdu.com/issue-archive/2026-issue-1/learning-by-doing
