Medical education in an era of health-care reform

• Published in: Perspectives in biology and medicine Vol. 54; no. 1; p. 61
• Main Author: Cohen, Jordan J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2011
• Subjects: Clinical Competence; Curriculum; Education, Medical - methods; Education, Medical - trends; Educational Status; Faculty, Medical; Health Care Reform - methods; Health Care Reform - trends; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Learning; Models, Educational; Philosophy, Medical; Schools, Medical; Students, Medical; Teaching - methods; United States; United States
• ISSN: 1529-8795
• DOI: 10.1353/pbm.2011.0008

Medical educators are facing a challenge today that is quite analogous to that addressed by Abraham Flexner, namely how to transform a legacy system of education that is no longer preparing future physicians adequately to meet contemporary expectations and responsibilities. In facing up this challenge, however, today's educators not only must equip students to deal effectively with the rapidly changing paradigms in health care and medical practice, they also must adapt their curricula and pedagogical methods to the demanding new paradigms of medical education. Their success in addressing these dual imperatives will determine whether the educational transformations currently underway will have as momentous an effect on the public's health as did those stimulated by Flexner a century ago.