Are we going in the right direction? A survey of the undergraduate medical education in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom from a general practice perspective

Abstract

This study looks at the changing patterns of medical education in 45 medical schools in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. It examines the extent to which the undergraduate curricula in the above three countries have changed, and the direction of that change. It looks at the teaching and assessment methods used, and the development of teacher training. Finally it gathers innovative teaching ideas from the various participating family medicine departments. The results show, that in response to changing patterns of health and social trends, medical education is gradually moving to a more learner-centred, community-orientated format.There is a move towards problem- and system-based teaching, horizontal and vertical integration in many new curricula. General practice is gaining a higher profile in undergraduate teaching, but it is often still under-resourced. Many of the family medicine departments provide high quality faculty training and stimulating programs for students, based in the community.