Setting Learning Goals in the LIC
“One of my long-term goals for my students is that by the end of LIC, they're ready to be a Sub-I. So, while I check in with them about their personal goals, I’ll often also suggest goals for them to work towards being more like the level of a fourth year by the time they're done.”
— Preceptor
"I'll ask the students when they come in for their shifts, ‘What's something that you want to focus on today?’.... just to kind of set an intention for that time.”
— Preceptor
“My student and I, at the end of the clinic, will reflect on the patients that we saw together. And they will identify one sort of larger learning topic that they want to improve their baseline knowledge on. And then both of us will take a little bit of time to prepare something about that for the next time.“
— Preceptor
Many preceptors are familiar with goal setting and feedback cycle in the standard 4-week block model that includes goal setting and expectation on day 1, midway check-in, and summative feedback. In the LIC, expectations and goal setting are equally important, while the structure of the LIC lends itself to more frequent and dynamic interplay between goal setting and feedback on a session-to-session basis.
Setting Long-Term Goals:
Meet early in the year to set long-term goals for the entire year.
Start with the end in mind: what do you want the student to be doing by the end of the year?
Students often need help with this because they do not have great insight into exactly what they need to do to get to the next level.
Set stepping-stone goals based on where the student is now and where you want them to end up.
Meet periodically to provide big-picture feedback on long-term goals and set new goals or modify old ones.
Coach students on setting skills-based goals that can build in complexity throughout the year.
Setting Daily Goals:
LIC students find it valuable to start each clinical session by setting a goal for the day.
Can help guide targeted feedback at the end of the day.
This daily goal setting and feedback should not take more than a couple minutes each!
Daily goals can and should tie into long-term goals.
Set Different Types of Goals:
Support your student by helping them develop various types of goals:
Clinical skills development:
E.g., presenting a broad and appropriate differential diagnosis.
Useful for daily goals as these goals are generally relevant to every patient.
Specialty specific:
What is unique to your specialty that students will not see with their other preceptors?
Can include unique procedures, exams, diagnoses, etc.
Skills based:
E.g., EKG reading, procedural skills, targeted physical exam skills, etc.
Knowledge based goals:
Great for helping students identify knowledge gaps to focus self-directed learning.
