The pros and cons of shortening medical school to three years are discussed in two perspective pieces published in the Sept. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
(HealthDay)—The pros and cons of shortening medical school to three years are discussed in two perspective pieces published in the Sept. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Steven B. Abramson, M.D., from the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues discuss the benefits of shortening medical school to three years, citing the example of fast-track programs currently offered at some institutions. Benefits of shortened training include allowing graduates to enter practice sooner and increase the physician-years in practice, helping to address the physician shortage. In addition, the three-year pathway could reduce the student debt burden, by simultaneously reducing debt and also providing an additional year of earnings. Careful mentoring and monitoring is recommended for the success of a shortened training program.
Stanley Goldfarb, M.D., and Gail Morrison, M.D., from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, discuss the potential shortcomings of shortening medical school. The authors note that, although exceptional students may be capable of accelerated learning, for typical students, the duration of medical school should not be reduced. Past efforts to reduce the duration of medical school have been aborted; students and faculty felt pressured by the compression of the material. Students who completed medical school in three years reported feeling exhausted, and many extended their studies. Students should be better prepared for the transition to residency; the current fourth-year curriculum fails to prepare students for more advanced responsibilities and should focus on expanding clinical and non-clinical knowledge.
"Given the growing complexity of medicine, it seems counterproductive to compress the curriculum into three years, reducing both preclinical and clinical experiences," Goldfarb and Morrison write.
Explore further: A summer in the country can inspire physicians to practice in rural areas, study finds
More information: Full Text - Abramson
Full Text - Goldfarb and Morrison
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
A summer in the country can inspire physicians to practice in rural areas, study finds
Aug 06, 2013
According to a recent study, the Summer Community Program offered by the University of Missouri School of Medicine has made a significant impact on physician access in rural communities. The 15-year study showed medical school ...
Growing mismatch in med school graduates, GME places
Jun 25, 2013
(HealthDay)—Although the number of medical school enrollees and graduates is increasing, the number of U.S. graduate medical education (GME) programs has not increased at the same rate, and consequently ...
Online dermatology education effective among students
Aug 24, 2013
(HealthDay)—An online dermatology curriculum significantly improves dermatology knowledge among medical students taking an introductory dermatology clerkship, according to research published in the August ...
High debt load anticipated by majority of medical students; African-Americans most affected
Sep 16, 2013
The cost of a medical school education in the United States has been on the rise over the past 10 years. However, given racial and ethnic inequalities in access to financial resources, increases in the student debt burden ...
Enrollment in US medical colleges is increasing
May 29, 2013
(HealthDay)—Enrollment in U.S. medical colleges is increasing, but there is concern about the adequacy of training opportunities, according to a report published by the Association of American Medical Colleges ...
Recommended for you
Microfluidics: The next wave of disruptive technology in radiochemistry?
2 hours ago
Microfluidic technology may offer faster and more controlled ways to produce radiotracers for medical imaging, including studies into Parkinson's disease, thanks to a first of its kind approach in the Southern Hemisphere ...
Prominent SARS doctor in Canada dies at 68
2 hours ago
Dr. Donald Low, the public face of Toronto's response to the SARS outbreak in 2003, has died. He was 68.
Special CT improves radiotherapy planning
4 hours ago
A computer tomograph (CT) with special software solutions is helping to improve the planning of radiotherapy, thus making cancer treatment more effective. Radiotherapy aims to irradiate tumors as precisely ...
British scientist Stephen Hawking backs assisted suicide
Sep 18, 2013
Stephen Hawking, the British theoretical physicist who suffers from motor neurone disease, has publicly backed the notion of assisted suicide for people with terminal illnesses.
Plastics from renewable raw materials: Body automatically breaks down implants
Sep 18, 2013
Researchers from Graz University of Technology, together with colleagues from the Medical University of Graz, Vienna University of Technology and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, have managed ...
Information conveyed to urologists regarding laser fiber diameter is incorrect, says new study
Sep 17, 2013
Neither the total nor the core diameters of laser fibers correspond to the advertised laser fiber diameter, revealed a new study investigating lasers used for urological surgery. Furthermore, there are serious differences ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2013, Phys.org network
The pros and cons of shortening medical school to three years are discussed in two perspective pieces published in the Sept. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
(HealthDay)—The pros and cons of shortening medical school to three years are discussed in two perspective pieces published in the Sept. 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Steven B. Abramson, M.D., from the New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City, and colleagues discuss the benefits of shortening medical school to three years, citing the example of fast-track programs currently offered at some institutions. Benefits of shortened training include allowing graduates to enter practice sooner and increase the physician-years in practice, helping to address the physician shortage. In addition, the three-year pathway could reduce the student debt burden, by simultaneously reducing debt and also providing an additional year of earnings. Careful mentoring and monitoring is recommended for the success of a shortened training program.
Stanley Goldfarb, M.D., and Gail Morrison, M.D., from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, discuss the potential shortcomings of shortening medical school. The authors note that, although exceptional students may be capable of accelerated learning, for typical students, the duration of medical school should not be reduced. Past efforts to reduce the duration of medical school have been aborted; students and faculty felt pressured by the compression of the material. Students who completed medical school in three years reported feeling exhausted, and many extended their studies. Students should be better prepared for the transition to residency; the current fourth-year curriculum fails to prepare students for more advanced responsibilities and should focus on expanding clinical and non-clinical knowledge.
"Given the growing complexity of medicine, it seems counterproductive to compress the curriculum into three years, reducing both preclinical and clinical experiences," Goldfarb and Morrison write.
Explore further: A summer in the country can inspire physicians to practice in rural areas, study finds
More information: Full Text - Abramson
Full Text - Goldfarb and Morrison
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
A summer in the country can inspire physicians to practice in rural areas, study finds
Aug 06, 2013
According to a recent study, the Summer Community Program offered by the University of Missouri School of Medicine has made a significant impact on physician access in rural communities. The 15-year study showed medical school ...
Growing mismatch in med school graduates, GME places
Jun 25, 2013
(HealthDay)—Although the number of medical school enrollees and graduates is increasing, the number of U.S. graduate medical education (GME) programs has not increased at the same rate, and consequently ...
Online dermatology education effective among students
Aug 24, 2013
(HealthDay)—An online dermatology curriculum significantly improves dermatology knowledge among medical students taking an introductory dermatology clerkship, according to research published in the August ...
High debt load anticipated by majority of medical students; African-Americans most affected
Sep 16, 2013
The cost of a medical school education in the United States has been on the rise over the past 10 years. However, given racial and ethnic inequalities in access to financial resources, increases in the student debt burden ...
Enrollment in US medical colleges is increasing
May 29, 2013
(HealthDay)—Enrollment in U.S. medical colleges is increasing, but there is concern about the adequacy of training opportunities, according to a report published by the Association of American Medical Colleges ...
Recommended for you
Microfluidics: The next wave of disruptive technology in radiochemistry?
2 hours ago
Microfluidic technology may offer faster and more controlled ways to produce radiotracers for medical imaging, including studies into Parkinson's disease, thanks to a first of its kind approach in the Southern Hemisphere ...
Prominent SARS doctor in Canada dies at 68
2 hours ago
Dr. Donald Low, the public face of Toronto's response to the SARS outbreak in 2003, has died. He was 68.
Special CT improves radiotherapy planning
4 hours ago
A computer tomograph (CT) with special software solutions is helping to improve the planning of radiotherapy, thus making cancer treatment more effective. Radiotherapy aims to irradiate tumors as precisely ...
British scientist Stephen Hawking backs assisted suicide
Sep 18, 2013
Stephen Hawking, the British theoretical physicist who suffers from motor neurone disease, has publicly backed the notion of assisted suicide for people with terminal illnesses.
Plastics from renewable raw materials: Body automatically breaks down implants
Sep 18, 2013
Researchers from Graz University of Technology, together with colleagues from the Medical University of Graz, Vienna University of Technology and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, have managed ...
Information conveyed to urologists regarding laser fiber diameter is incorrect, says new study
Sep 17, 2013
Neither the total nor the core diameters of laser fibers correspond to the advertised laser fiber diameter, revealed a new study investigating lasers used for urological surgery. Furthermore, there are serious differences ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2013, Phys.org network
0 comments:
Post a Comment