I would not have allowed it with former T because of the nature of our sessions then. I would allow it with current T because I'm in a very different place in my life. But I would not allow a strict observer; the student would have to participate, much as I always incorporated observers in teaching situations into whatever the class' activity was on that day. I think it would be a more valuable learning experience for them, and a more natural session for all of us.

Having med students shadowing physicians has become routine here because of an expansion of the Univ med school and its integration with all the medical services in the area. I don't generally mind, but I dislike when a dr saunters in with a student, saying "This is so and so who's an X yr med student--do you mind if he/she observes?" I mean, they're already in the room, and it's awkward to say you'd rather they left. Sometimes my practitioner has the student conduct the exam and then she comes in later. In that case, they're always experienced nurses working on the credential to become NPs.