Small Group teaching in clinics – An effective teaching practice for undergraduates

Aim: To assess student perceptions of small group discussions held during their clinical training, directed towards developing competent health professionals. Material and Methods: SGT sessions were conducted on each day of posting. The four faculty members included for the project were sensitized to carry out similar SGT sessions for each batch of students as facilitator. Perceptions of the SGT were obtained at the end of posting. Results were drawn with the help of perceptions obtained through validated questionnaire. Results: The overall response rate was 100%. 87% the students felt that objectives for every session were made clear before the sessions. 73% students said that topics or cases chosen for discussions were appropriate. 93% agreed that faculty gave them lot of information about the discussed topic. 93% students commented that what they learned in these sessions was important and will be of use to them in the future. Conclusion: Students were satisfied with the small group sessions introduced in the department of Oral Medicine and Radiology. Similar SGT sessions can be designed for other subjects in Dentistry in future for better clinical competency.