A Call for Humility in the Regulation of Medical Education

Abstract

Perhaps the most worrisome words ever uttered by medical education’s advocates are the following: “If only I were in charge, things would be ever so much better.” Such words are dangerous for several reasons. First, they may hint at an appetite for power, and as Plato said, the last people to whom power should be entrusted are those who long for it. Second, they reveal a presumption that power—the opportunity to be in charge—is the key to improving education: to fix the problems we face, all we need to do is put the right people in charge.