Pastoral Care Provision for Medical Students: What Is the Role of the Clinical Teaching Fellow?

BACKGROUND: The clinical teaching fellow (CTF) role is often taken by resident doctors between training programmes to develop skills within medical education. This project explored CTF experiences of pastoral care provision at one medical school in the United Kingdom (UK), specifically focusing on their own role and responsibilities to inform practical support strategies for doctors as future medical educators. METHODS: This study adopted a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Five focus groups were conducted at different hospital sites where medical students undertake clinical placements, known individually as academies. The focus groups explored what pastoral support meant to CTFs and their experiences of providing pastoral support to medical students. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken collaboratively by the research team. FINDINGS: The views of CTFs at different academies were generally aligned and four themes were identified. These included: (1) holistic pastoral care; (2) organisational influences: a mismatch of expectations; (3) challenges of the role; and (4) support for CTFs. The term pastoral care remains ill-defined, but there was universal agreement amongst CTFs that it required a holistic approach to all student-related issues. The near-peer educational relationship between CTFs and medical students appears to be a fulfilling aspect of the role. Further clarity is required surrounding the expectations of the CTF role, which has led to indistinct boundaries surrounding the promotion of student well-being. CONCLUSION: Future considerations include acknowledgment of the cognitive load associated with supporting students, defining CTF responsibilities within the current escalation pathways and providing preparatory and sustained training.