How to teach - you could write volumes on various methods -- I am going to try to remember a few points from my experiences as a 3rd year -
As residents, a lot of what we teach is how to function as a doctor. It is a disservice to the medical students to allow them to disappear whenever possible, give them only the most interesting cases, never chastise them for poor work, etc.
All it does is create a coddled, entitled student who will go on to be a weak resident.
I think it's important to prepare the student for residency and a career as a practicing physician. Obviously, some residents are better at this than others, and there is literature that shows we need to teach better. I will gloss over a few points.
Pimping is usually ineffective, and if utilized, should be as positive as possible, and followed by the actual answer, instead of an empty "look it up and tell me later" comment.
Always explain what you are doing with your patients and why you are doing it. It's very hard for students to "know more than anyone" about their patients when they don't understand why the care is taking a certain direction, why this antibiotic or this x-ray, etc.
--------Also, always walk them through your orders (post-op or admission) and notes, teaching the ADCVANDISMAL etc. You'd be surprised how many MS4's come through that can't do simple tasks like admit orders.
Be available and approachable. We don't realize as residents how intimidating we can be sometimes. I'm finding that out even more as a senior surgical resident.
While it's nice when people like you, it's more important that they learn from you. Your job as a resident is not to be their friend, so you have to be able to make the student do things they don't want to, or reprimand them for poor work.
If you are a specialist, most students won't choose your specialty as a career, so this may be their only chance to see this pathology.
It is important to teach them the common clinical manifestations of these diseases. E.g. as a surgery resident, I can teach the student to know what a surgical abdomen feels like, etc, and avoid problems later on when that student goes into medicine, be it saving an unnecessary consult, or allowing them to recognize the need for an urgent/immediate consult that can't wait.
When teaching about actual topics, make sure you are keeping it on a "med student level." Often we unintentionally teach over their heads because we naturally regurgitate whatever it is that
we are studying.
Sit down with them in the beginning and list out your expectations. Let them know what you want them to see and do, in the mornings, on call, etc. That way, they can't use the "I didn't know, you never told me I was supposed to...." excuse down the line, and you don't get mad for unfair reasons.
Provide feedback, early and often. Let them know what they are doing right and wrong. Don't be afraid to tell them where they need to improve. Approaching everyone with kid gloves leads to a bunch of weak residents down the line who never even knew they had a deficiency.
