Deliberate Vulnerability at the Bedside: Operationalising Failure Rounds in Clinical Teaching

Bedside rounds frequently devolve into performative clinical demonstrations where cognitive friction, uncertainty and diagnostic hesitations are masked by learners. Inspired by the AMEE 2026 symposium on "Failure Rounds," this perspective translates the pedagogical concept of deliberate vulnerability into front-line bedside clinical teaching. Grounded in psychological safety, productive failure and error-based learning frameworks, deliberate vulnerability repositions uncertainty from a professional deficit into a catalyst for diagnostic reasoning. Front-line faculty discussions highlight practical barriers, including safeguarding patient trust and balancing efficiency with deep pedagogical exploration. We propose three actionable, nonprescriptive pillars for clinical teachers: taking the first turn by acknowledging doubt, decoupling immediate patient care from cognitive debriefing and conducting structured micro-debriefings.