Attendings' and residents' teaching role and students' overall rating of clinical clerkships.

The study was conducted with a sample of third-year students (n = 584) at Jefferson Medical College to explore students' perception of patterns of differences between attending physicians and residents in their teaching behaviors during clinical clerkships. Attending physicians' teaching behaviors were perceived more in a mentorship mode whereas residents' teaching behaviors were equally divided between mentorship and preceptorship modes. Attending physicians and residents' teaching behaviors varied among clerkships. Results were discussed in terms of difference of teaching roles played by attending physicians and residents and relationship of the teaching behaviors to students' overall rating of clerkship.