ABSTRACT
A doctor usually works in a number of trusts, firms or jobs as they proceed through training. This gives them an opportunity to learn about the differing sets of values and attitudes that tend to be a feature of a particular organisation. This chapter discusses some concepts behind teaching and learning. Career development and the maintenance of professional competence demand that doctors maintain learning habits throughout their working lives. The concept of problem solving also suggests an active rather than passive process. In other words the responsibility for problem solving rests with us, in contrast to teaching, where the teacher is responsible (for the learning). The problem solver must experiment, take risks and gain experience, in order to address the problem. This separation of educational learning and work learning sometimes leads to difficulties for doctors in the transition from medical school to work-based training. The learning-style inventory is a simple self-description test based on experiential learning theory.
