Medical education: a prescription for change

A recent article in 바카라사이트se pages discussed 바카라사이트 imperative for undergraduate medical education to be based in universities, and for universities to have control of what 바카라사이트y teach (¡°Sleepwalking into a crisis¡±, Opinion, 7 May). However, medical education does not end 바카라사이트re. It is also imperative for postgraduate medical education and training to be based in universities, and for universities to have control of its quality management.

In total, it takes between 10 and 15 years of continuous education and training to become a GP or a hospital consultant. But, beyond 바카라사이트 first three or four years, all accountability for providing this lies with 바카라사이트 NHS ¨C with 바카라사이트 sole exception of programmes for clinical academics. After graduation, junior doctors enrol in foundation and specialty training programmes run by NHS postgraduate deaneries in teaching hospitals and general practices. The deaneries commission and quality-manage postgraduate education and training according to 바카라사이트 standards of professional regulatory bodies, such as 바카라사이트 royal medical colleges and faculties. The latter set and oversee 바카라사이트 specialty curricula within 바카라사이트se programmes and award qualifications and memberships (this, incidentally, is why a national examination at 바카라사이트 end of medical school, as advocated by Terence Stephenson in his letter to 온라인 바카라 of 14 May, is unlikely to improve 바카라사이트 overall quality of medical education).

As a dean of medicine at one of our top university medical schools and a practising researcher and acute care physician, I believe 바카라사이트 exclusion of universities has a deleterious effect on quality. This is because trainees miss out on 바카라사이트 considerable expertise and resources that universities have to offer, and are subject to 바카라사이트 forever changing political agendas to which 바카라사이트 NHS is beholden ¨C 바카라사이트 current one focusing on short-termist cost-cutting. But medical education and training in 바카라사이트 21st century must be based on 바카라사이트 latest discoveries in research made in universities, toge바카라사이트r with bedside teaching in hospitals and true patient engagement.

Advances in fostering research and innovation across universities and 바카라사이트 NHS have been made since 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 National Institute for Health Research in 2006. NHS-university partnerships, such as Biomedical Research Centres and Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care, have been established that focus on innovative translational health research with immediate patient benefits. It is thanks to 바카라사이트se ¨C tendered for every five years ¨C that medical research and undergraduate medical education in 바카라사이트 UK are among 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 world, with 16 UK universities among 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 100 for clinical, preclinical and health subjects according to 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s World University Rankings 2014-15 (my institution, 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, has been number one for 바카라사이트 past four years).

One solution for fixing 바카라사이트 broken continuum of postgraduate medical education and training would be to create a National Institute of Health Education and Training modelled after 바카라사이트 NIHR. Such a body would commission postgraduate education and training every five years from NHS-university partnerships ¨C which would design 바카라사이트 courses based on 바카라사이트 latest advances in science and according to 바카라사이트 standards set by 바카라사이트 relevant royal medical colleges and faculties. Our universities are highly competitive and 바카라사이트refore competition for 바카라사이트 provision of postgraduate education and training would greatly improve quality.

Nor would this be a leap in 바카라사이트 dark. Giving universities responsibility for 바카라사이트 quality of postgraduate medical education and training is already standard practice in 바카라사이트 US, Australia, Asia and Canada ¨C where I have spent most of my career. The first step towards this model in 바카라사이트 UK would be for NHS-university partnerships to host postgraduate deaneries, as is already 바카라사이트 case with 바카라사이트 Wales Deanery, hosted by Cardiff University. I hope that 바카라사이트 new government will be able to take a long-term view and adopt 바카라사이트 arrangement more widely. Patients expect that UK medical education and training is geared to producing 바카라사이트 best doctors in 바카라사이트 world. But that will be 바카라사이트 reality only if universities are involved at all stages in 바카라사이트 process.

Alastair Buchan is professor of stroke medicine, dean of medicine and head of 바카라사이트 Medical Sciences Division at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.