Volume 197 - Issue 6
Training doctors — too long in the cellar?
Authors: Kerry J Goulston and Kim Oates
Med J Aust 2012; 197 (6): 329. || doi: 10.5694/mja12.11169
Published online: 17 September 2012
Published online: 17 September 2012
To the Editor: We agree with Taylor and others that Australian medical training is too long.1,2
In 2008, Garling provocatively stated “I know of no other university-based performance qualification that requires such lengthy education and training. The only training period remotely approaching this length
of time is that to become a Jesuit priest”.3
One year of medical training could be eliminated by reducing clinical and preclinical training ...
To the Editor: We agree with Taylor and others that Australian medical training is too long.1,2
In 2008, Garling provocatively stated “I know of no other university-based performance qualification that requires such lengthy education and training. The only training period remotely approaching this length of time is that to become a Jesuit priest”.3
One year of medical training could be eliminated by reducing clinical and preclinical training by 6 months each without adversely affecting clinical performance.1 Harvard Medical School now requires only 15 months of core clinical rotations.4
If prospective students were better informed about career options, they could choose from several broad streams for their final year.5 Another innovation would be to have no intern year, instead using final-year students as sub-interns. In physician training, those passing the Part 1 RACP (Royal Australasian College of Physicians) examination could choose to continue to advanced training in a subspecialty for 2 years. Alternatively, after working for another 2 years in a hospital, they could be eligible to practise independently as general physicians.
It is time for a frank, non-partisan discussion on this issue between all those responsible for medical training.
Competing interests
No relevant disclosures.
References
- Emanuel EJ, Fuchs VR. Shortening medical training by 30%. JAMA 2012; 307: 1143-1144. 0_BABDFAFC
- Health Workforce Australia. Health workforce 2025: doctors, nurses and midwives — volume 1. www.hwa.gov.au/sites/uploads/health-workforce-2025-volume-1.pdf (accessed Aug 2012).
- Smith P. Medical training taking too long: Garling. Australian Doctor 2009; 22 Oct. http://www. australiandoctor.com.au/news/latest-news/medical-training-taking-too-long--garling (accessed Aug 2012).
- Harvard Medical School. New pathway (NP). http://hms.harvard.edu/content/new-pathway-np (accessed Aug 2012).
- Benbassat J, Baumal R. Expected benefits of streamlining undergraduate medical education by early commitment to specific medical specialities. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract 2012; 17: 145-155. 0_i1142879