Document Detail


Toward a liberal education in medicine.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20107358     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The central thesis of Abraham Flexner's analyses of North American and European medical education was that the university is essential to the provision of a medical education. The authors invoke the spirit of Flexner to envision further contributions of the university at large to undergraduate medical education. Medical curricula now include elements of a variety of other disciplines that are better represented in other parts of the university. Most schools, however, even those closely affiliated with a comprehensive university, do not take full advantage of these resources, nor do they offer sufficient opportunities for students to pursue individualized interests and learning goals. Medical school now plays a different role in the education of physicians than it did a century ago-it remains the definitive, but is no longer the ultimate, stage in a continuum involving college, professional, postgraduate, and continuing education. The authors explore the medical school years as an opportunity for a liberal education in medicine. Beyond the assurance of competence in core knowledge, skills, and perspectives, this model places more emphasis on nurturing students' intellectual curiosity about phenomena of illness and disease, their understanding of the human condition, and their exploration of the many other disciplines related to medicine and the life sciences. A richer, broader education can be achieved through more flexible and individualized paths to the MD and facilitated by realizing medical schools' full academic citizenship in the university.
Authors:
Raymond H Curry; Kathryn Montgomery
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges     Volume:  85     ISSN:  1938-808X     ISO Abbreviation:  Acad Med     Publication Date:  2010 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-01-28     Completed Date:  2010-02-23     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8904605     Medline TA:  Acad Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  283-7     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. rcurry@northwestern.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Biological Science Disciplines / education
Curriculum*
Education, Medical, Undergraduate*
Humanities / education
Humans
Social Sciences / education*
Universities*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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