Editorial: Case reports as a resource for teaching and learning

Abstract

Preparing the next generation of health professionals is a collective responsibility. All health professionals have a role to play in contributing knowledge that can enhance teaching and learning for health students across the educational spectrum. Health professionals in general have a commitment to lifelong learning and this commitment is reflected in our professional standards and guidelines, and our literature [1]. Indeed, healthcare practice changes quickly in response to new diseases, treatment modalities, and changing patient needs. Thus, lifelong learning is essential if we are to successfully meet the needs of the communities we serve. As we develop professionally, our learning needs and styles of learning mature and develop [2]. For example, graduate health professional students often have a rich range of clinical experiences to draw on that can enhance their learning and their insight into the need for ongoing learning. However, for those in the pre-service educational setting, there may be far less clinical experiences to draw on, and so it falls to faculty to ensure that students are provided with current and contextualized cases upon which their learning can be based. Indeed, there are challenges associated with adequately preparing students to face the rigors of clinical practice. It is here that case reports can potentially fill a void.