Friday, April 30, 2010

Is medical education going full circle?

A while back I wrote that medical eduction was slouching towards pre-Flexnerian standards due to the growing influence of unscientific complementary and alternative medicine in the curricula. Now, according to a new article in Academic Medicine, we may be slouching in more ways than one, out of pressure to address the shortage of primary physicians. You can get the full text free from Medscape.

1 comment:

Michael Kirsch, M.D. said...

I think that medical training could be shortened to an extent, but there are many reasons behind the current training requirements beyond their educational value. Longer time in medical school generates revenue for these institutions. Interns, residents and fellows have always been a source of cheap hospital labor and provide lifestyle benefits to attending physicians and faculty. Shorting these training intervals might be resisted on these grounds. It's not just about the education. www.MDWhistleblower.blogspot.com