opinion
How medical education is changing
■ Selected articles on trends, challenges and controversies in the changing world of medicine
Posted March 26, 2012
Connected Coverage
Selected articles on trends, challenges and controversies in the changing world of medicine.
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Medical schools increasingly aren’t just about teaching physicians the science of being a doctor. They are adjusting what and how they teach to prepare would-be physicians for a more challenging practice environment. Increasingly, physicians in training are expected to know more about patient satisfaction and the social and behavioral aspects of care. Schools also are trying to steer students to particular settings to help alleviate physician shortages.
American Medical News has reported on these and other trends that will affect those who want to be physicians, as well as doctors already in practice who may be working alongside colleagues trained in a different way.
Revised MCAT places broader expectations on students
The Medical College Admission Test is being revised so it not only identifies prospective students’ scientific skills, but also analyzes their people skills. In an era when more importance is placed on patient satisfaction, the test is being redesigned so students will answer questions regarding patient communication and social and behavioral factors that affect health. Read story
Med schools promote training that lets students follow individual patients
Some schools are trying what they call longitudinal integrated clerkship, a training model that veers away from traditional clinical block rotations. The hope is that students learn what medical care is like from the patient’s perspective. Read story
Med schools seek right fit for rural practice
With physician shortages particularly acute in low-population areas, some medical schools are doing more to steer doctors to practice in rural environments. Some are recruiting, as early as high school, prospective students from rural areas, exposing students to rural environments, or opening new schools in such areas. u Read story
