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Abstract
The changing role of medicine in society and the growing expectations patients have
of their doctors means that the content and delivery of medical curricula also have
to change. The focus of health care has shifted from episodic care of individuals
in hospitals to promotion of health in the community, and from paternalism and anecdotal
care to negotiated management based on evidence of effectiveness and safety. Medical
training is becoming more student centred, with an emphasis on active learning rather
than on the passive acquisition of knowledge, and on the assessment of clinical competence
rather than on the ability to retain and recall unrelated facts. Rigid educational
programmes are giving way to more adaptable and flexible ones, in which student feedback
and patient participation have increasingly important roles. The implementation of
sustained innovation in medical education continues to present challenges, especially
in terms of providing institutional and individual incentives. However, a continuously
evolving, high quality medical education system is needed to assure the continued
delivery of high quality medicine.