Why patients should be part of medical training from day one

The Reflection article by Bravery1 reminded us of the disability rights movement slogan “Nothing about us without us” and prompted us to reflect on the ways in which expert patients, carers, health and patient advocates, and community members contribute to medical student teaching at the School of Medicine at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle. Their partnership is crucial to the School being able to meet the standards — (2.1.4) “the medical education provider relates its teaching, service and research activities to the health care needs of the communities it serves,” and (4.6) “learning and teaching methods in the clinical environment promote the concepts of patient centred care and collaborative engagement” — of the Australian Medical Council’s Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Primary Medical Programs.2