Medical education
Encyclopedia
Medical education is education related to the practice of being a medical practitioner, either the initial training to become a doctor
(i.e., medical school
and internship) or additional training thereafter (e.g., residency
and fellowship
).
Medical education and training varies considerably across the world. Various teaching methodologies have been utilised in medical education, which is an active area of educational research.
. Depending on jurisdiction and university, these may be either undergraduate-entry (most of Europe, India, China), or graduate-entry programs (mainly Australia, Canada, United States).
In general, initial training is taken at medical school
. Traditionally initial medical education is divided between preclinical and clinical studies. The former consists of the basic sciences such as anatomy
, physiology
, biochemistry
, pharmacology
, pathology
. The latter consists of teaching in the various areas of clinical medicine such as internal medicine
, pediatrics
, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry
, and surgery
. However, medical programs are using systems-based curricula in which learning is integrated, and several institutions do this.
There has been a proliferation of programmes that combine medical training with research (DO PhD or MD PhD) or management programmes (DO MBA or MD MBA), although this has been criticised.
".
Further training in a particular field of medicine may be undertaken. In some jurisdictions, this is commenced immediately following completion of entry-level training, while other jurisdictions require junior doctors to undertake generalist (unstreamed) training for a number of years before commencing specialisation.
Education theory itself is increasingly becoming an integral part of postgraduate medical training. Formal qualifications in education are becoming the norm for Medical School educators, who are becoming increasingly accountable for their students.
(CME) courses are required for continued licensing. CME requirements vary by state and by country. In the USA, accreditation is overseen by the ACCME.
s (LMSs) or virtual learning environment
s (VLEs).
Research areas into online medical education include practical applications with virtual patients and virtual medical records.
Virtual Dental Patients is a combination of systems and methods that read digital medical records and create three-dimensional image simulations. This computerized method provides an accurate representation of the surface anatomy of hard and soft tissues, tooth contacts, and motion of the patient’s jaw while the teeth are in contact. Virtual Dental Patients provide valuable information in the diagnosis, prognosis, and outcome assessment of the patient’s dental health. This invention represents a paradigm shift in clinical measurement for dentistry.
degree (abbreviated MBChB, MBBS, MBBCh, BM, etc.). This is followed by 2 clinical foundation years afterward, namely F1 and F2, similar to internship training. Students register with the UK General Medical Council
at the end of F1. At the end of F2, they may pursue further years of study.
In the US and Canada, a potential medical student must first complete an undergraduate degree in any subject before applying to a graduate medical school to pursue an (M.D.
or D.O.
) program. U.S. medical schools are almost all four-year programs. Some students opt for the research-focused D.O./PhD or M.D./PhD dual degree program, which is usually completed in 7–10 years. There are certain courses that are pre-requisite for being accepted to medical school, such as general chemistry
, organic chemistry
, physics
, mathematics
, biology
, English
, labwork, etc. The specific requirements vary by school.
In Australia, there are two pathways to a medical degree. Students can choose to take a five or six year undergraduate medical degree Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS or BMed) as a first tertiary degree directly after secondary school graduation, or first complete a bachelors degree (in general three years, usually in the medical sciences) and then apply for a four-year graduate entry
Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program.
See:
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
(i.e., medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
and internship) or additional training thereafter (e.g., residency
Residency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
and fellowship
Fellowship (medicine)
A fellowship is the period of medical training in the United States and Canada that a physician may undertake after completing a specialty training program . During this time , the physician is known as a fellow...
).
Medical education and training varies considerably across the world. Various teaching methodologies have been utilised in medical education, which is an active area of educational research.
Entry-level education
Entry-level medical education programs are tertiary-level courses undertaken at a medical schoolMedical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
. Depending on jurisdiction and university, these may be either undergraduate-entry (most of Europe, India, China), or graduate-entry programs (mainly Australia, Canada, United States).
In general, initial training is taken at medical school
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
. Traditionally initial medical education is divided between preclinical and clinical studies. The former consists of the basic sciences such as anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
, physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
, pathology
Pathology
Pathology is the precise study and diagnosis of disease. The word pathology is from Ancient Greek , pathos, "feeling, suffering"; and , -logia, "the study of". Pathologization, to pathologize, refers to the process of defining a condition or behavior as pathological, e.g. pathological gambling....
. The latter consists of teaching in the various areas of clinical medicine such as internal medicine
Internal medicine
Internal medicine is the medical specialty dealing with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adult diseases. Physicians specializing in internal medicine are called internists. They are especially skilled in the management of patients who have undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes...
, pediatrics
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, and surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
. However, medical programs are using systems-based curricula in which learning is integrated, and several institutions do this.
There has been a proliferation of programmes that combine medical training with research (DO PhD or MD PhD) or management programmes (DO MBA or MD MBA), although this has been criticised.
Postgraduate education
Following completion of entry-level training, newly graduated doctors are often required to undertake a period of supervised practice before full registration is granted; this is most often of one-year duration and may be referred to as "internship" or "provisional registration" or "residencyResidency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
".
Further training in a particular field of medicine may be undertaken. In some jurisdictions, this is commenced immediately following completion of entry-level training, while other jurisdictions require junior doctors to undertake generalist (unstreamed) training for a number of years before commencing specialisation.
Education theory itself is increasingly becoming an integral part of postgraduate medical training. Formal qualifications in education are becoming the norm for Medical School educators, who are becoming increasingly accountable for their students.
Continuing medical education
In most countries, continuing medical educationContinuing medical education
Continuing medical education refers to a specific form of continuing education that helps those in the medical field maintain competence and learn about new and developing areas of their field. These activities may take place as live events, written publications, online programs, audio, video, or...
(CME) courses are required for continued licensing. CME requirements vary by state and by country. In the USA, accreditation is overseen by the ACCME.
Online learning
It is becoming more and more common for medical education around the world to be supported by online teaching, usually within learning management systemLearning management system
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
s (LMSs) or virtual learning environment
Virtual learning environment
Defined largely by usage, the term virtual learning environment has most, if not all, of the following salient properties:* It is Web-based* It uses Web 2.0 tools for rich 2-way interaction* It includes a content management system...
s (VLEs).
Research areas into online medical education include practical applications with virtual patients and virtual medical records.
- Dental Anatomy Software
- Virtual Dental Patients
Virtual Dental Patients is a combination of systems and methods that read digital medical records and create three-dimensional image simulations. This computerized method provides an accurate representation of the surface anatomy of hard and soft tissues, tooth contacts, and motion of the patient’s jaw while the teeth are in contact. Virtual Dental Patients provide valuable information in the diagnosis, prognosis, and outcome assessment of the patient’s dental health. This invention represents a paradigm shift in clinical measurement for dentistry.
Example of medical education systems
At present, in the United Kingdom, a typical medicine course at university is 5 years or 4 years if the student already holds a degree. Among some institutions and for some students, it may be 6 years (including the selection of an intercalated BSc—taking one year—at some point after the pre-clinical studies). All programs culminate in the Bachelor of Medicine and SurgeryBachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, or in Latin Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae , are the two first professional degrees awarded upon graduation from medical school in medicine and surgery by universities in various countries...
degree (abbreviated MBChB, MBBS, MBBCh, BM, etc.). This is followed by 2 clinical foundation years afterward, namely F1 and F2, similar to internship training. Students register with the UK General Medical Council
General Medical Council
The General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise...
at the end of F1. At the end of F2, they may pursue further years of study.
In the US and Canada, a potential medical student must first complete an undergraduate degree in any subject before applying to a graduate medical school to pursue an (M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
or D.O.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a professional doctoral degree for physicians in the United States. Holders of the MD degree, Doctor of Medicine, have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as osteopathic physicians in the United States.The American Osteopathic Association’s Commission...
) program. U.S. medical schools are almost all four-year programs. Some students opt for the research-focused D.O./PhD or M.D./PhD dual degree program, which is usually completed in 7–10 years. There are certain courses that are pre-requisite for being accepted to medical school, such as general chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, organic chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, labwork, etc. The specific requirements vary by school.
In Australia, there are two pathways to a medical degree. Students can choose to take a five or six year undergraduate medical degree Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS or BMed) as a first tertiary degree directly after secondary school graduation, or first complete a bachelors degree (in general three years, usually in the medical sciences) and then apply for a four-year graduate entry
Graduate Medical Program
Graduate Medical Program or sometimes also known as Graduate Entry Program or Graduate Entry Medicine are terms generally used outside of the United States to refer to medical programs usually of 4-years duration where applicants are university graduates who have taken aptitude tests such as the...
Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program.
See:
- Medical education in AustraliaMedical education in AustraliaMedical education in Australia is concerned with both the basic training of medical practitioners and with the post-graduate training of medical specialists.-Medical school:...
- Medical education in CanadaMedical school in CanadaIn Canada, a medical school is a faculty or school of a university that trains would-be medical doctors and physician assistants usually offering a 3- or 4-year Doctor of Medicine degree and 2 year Physician Assistant degrees. Although presently most students enter medicine having previously...
- Medical education in China
- Medical education in Hong KongMedical education in Hong KongMedical education in Hong Kong is concerned with both the basic training of medical practitioners and further post-graduate training.-Medical school:...
- Medical education in IndiaMedical college (India)In India, Medical College refers to an educational institution that provides medical education. These institutions may vary from stand-alone colleges that train doctors to conglomerates that offer training related in all aspects of medical care...
- Medical education in JordanMedical education in JordanMedical education in Jordan includes educational activities involved in the education and training of Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists.The history of Jordanian medical education...
- Medical education in PanamaMedical education in PanamaMedical education in Panama is principally offered and developed by accredited and government recognized medical schools in the country. There are 5 medical schools in Panama, typically offering the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degrees....
- Medical education in the PhilippinesMedical education in the PhilippinesMedical education in the Philippines is principally offered and developed by accredited and government recognized medical schools in the country.The Philippine medical schools are graduate schools offering the Doctor of Medicine degree. The M.D...
- Medical education in South Africa
- Medical education in Uganda
- Medical education in the United KingdomMedical education in the United KingdomMedical education in the United Kingdom includes educational activities involved in the education and training of medical doctors in the United Kingdom, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists. A typical outline of the medical education pathway is...
- Medical education in the United StatesMedical education in the United StatesMedical education in the United States includes educational activities involved in the education and training of medical doctors in the United States, from entry-level training through to continuing education of qualified specialists....
Medical Education Journals
As the field of medical education grows, it is being supported by a wide range of journals, both Open Access and Subscription, devoted exclusively to medical education. These include (in alphabetical order):- Academic Medicine (Subscription)
- Advances in Health Sciences Education (Subscription)
- BMC Medical Education (Open Access)
- International Journal of Medical Education (Open Access)
- Internet Journal of Medical Education (Open Access)
- JK Science Journal of Medical Education & Research (Open Access)
- Journal of Medical Education (Open Access)
- Medical Education (Subscription)
- Medical Education Online (Open Access)
- Medical TeacherMedical TeacherThe Medical Teacher is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering training for the health professions. It is published in collaboration with the Association for Medical Education in Europe . The editor in chief is Ronald Harden....
(Subscription) - Open Medical Education Journal (Open Access)
- Teaching and Learning in Medicine (Subscription)
See also
- Doctors to BeDoctors to BeDoctors to Be is a biographical documentary series that was first broadcast on BBC Two by BBC Television and is also the name of a BBC book that accompanied the series. The television series follows 10 medical students who enrolled at St Mary's Hospital Medical School in the 1985 intake of students...
(an occasional series on BBC television) - List of medical education agenciesMedical education agencyMedical education agencies are a specialty subset of advertising agencies that develop educational content for the Healthcare, Life Science and Biotechnology industries...
- List of medical schools
- Objective Structured Clinical ExaminationObjective Structured Clinical ExaminationAn Objective Structured Clinical Examination is a modern type of examination often used in health sciences...
- Validation of foreign studies and degreesValidation of foreign studies and degreesValidation can be total or partial validation of foreign university and non-university studies and degrees.- Mutual recognition of professional qualifications:...
- Virtual PatientsVirtual patientThe term virtual patient is used to describe interactive computer simulations used in health care education. The special focus is targeted on the simulation of clinical processes with virtual patients. Virtual patients combine scientific excellence, modern technologies and the innovative concept of...
External links
- Medical Education Watch - a popular blog with daily updates on medical schools, teaching hospitals and physicians
- electronic Medicines Compendium - an up to date database of Summary of product characteristics (SPCs) and Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) for UK licensed medicines
- Inside PA Training - the Journal of Physician Assistant Education and Careers
- Medicine Guides - an online medicines information resource for patients and the general public in the UK
- Meducation.net -The medical education network sharing thousands of medical resource