Res Medica

Abstract

MEDICAL EDUCATION

It seems almost traditional now that medical students should be to some degree critical of the mode of conduct of their courses. In the last ten years or so it has also become fashionable for the governing bodies of medical schools to discuss and experiment with new methods of teaching and the content of courses. Practically all are agreed that the already lengthy course should not be extended, therefore the required measures will entail a judicial pruning of the present curriculum to enable the newer subjects and courses e.g. psychological medicine and general practice methods to be included.

In the United Kingdom, the General Medical Council is the all-important governing body and their Directive of 1957 has done much to stimulate thoughts and ideas along the lines of revision and re-organisation of the medical course. It is this body which lays down the minimal requirements of a medical curriculum, but in their Directive they delegated much responsibility as to the actual conduct of the course to the individual medical schools, and added their now almost famous rider that there should be less instruction and more education."