To the Editor: The article by McGrath and colleagues summarised neatly the challenges facing medical education in Australia.1 One solution suggested by Crotty for meeting the training needs of medical students at a time of increasing student numbers and decreasing numbers of hospital inpatients is to move a greater proportion of medical education into the community.2 Internationally, many medical schools are adopting a more community-based curriculum,3 while in Australia, students are spending a greater proportion of their time in general practices and other community settings.
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- James Cook University, Townsville, QLD.
- 1. McGrath BP, Graham IS, Crotty BJ, Jolly BC. Lack of integration of medical education in Australia: the need for change. Med J Aust 2006; 184: 346-348. <MJA full text>
- 2. Crotty BJ. More students and less patients: the squeeze on medical teaching resources [editorial]. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 444-445. <MJA full text>
- 3. Boaden N, Bligh J. Community-based medical education. London: Arnold, 1999: 29-41.
- 4. Thistlethwaite JE, Storr E. The views of general practitioner tutors on developing medical students’ communication and management skills. Educat Primary Care 2004; 15: 372-379.