Medical school professors depend on the lecture format as a primary pedagogical device. In lectures, professors draw attention to important information and make connections between text and real-world applications. Most lectures also include question-and-answer time so that students can gain clarification on the subject matter. Professors usually spend the majority of class time in lecture mode and supplement their pedagogy with group activities, multimedia presentations and other innovative techniques.
Case studies give students an opportunity to grapple with newly learned material in a real-world setting. Professors give students a set of information about hypothetical or real individuals and ask students to make assessments regarding patient diagnosis and treatment. Students usually participate in case studies in a group setting that mimics the collaborative nature of medical team work.
During the final year of medical school, most students participate in clinical rotations during which they work in various medical settings. During this time, students work closely with professional mentors. The clinical rotation system was designed to ensure that medical students have sufficient time practicing in each medical field. For this reason, even doctors with different specialties share a baseline of practical competence in all areas of medicine.
Those who want to specialize in the areas of psychiatric medicine engage in a long period of self-treatment, where older practicing psychiatrists teach methods of various forms of therapy with the student as the patient. Instructors use self-treatment as a means of psychiatric teaching in order to help students understand what it is like to be patient and to give students an opportunity to examine the inner workings of their own psyches prior to entering the profession.