Clinical teaching involves instruction in a natural health-related environment which allows students to observe and participate in the actual practice of the profession. The use of objectives, the sequence of instruction, the instructional methods and materials, and the evaluation of student performance constitute the components studied in previous research. A study conducted at McGill University (Canada) attempted to integrate data to formulate a theoretical framework. Forty-one students; 14 clinical instructors; and 5 classroom instructors in nursing, dentistry, and physiotherapy participated in the study. Observations of clinical teaching; questionnaires completed by clinical students; and interviews with physiotherapy students, clinical instructors, and classroom instructors provided the data. The results revealed that neither instructors nor students were generally preoccupied with the use of objectives; sequencing, or organization, was a chief concern; the instructional methods were effectively and consistently employed; the materials were discipline-specific; and student evaluation was a concern. A course for clinical instructors, videotaped analyses, and instructional design segments contributed by participants confirmed the relevance of each element. More research is required to advance from descriptive models toward a theory of clinical instruction. (RG)