When the doctors themselves say this we REALLY have a problem -- could it be that the Big Pharm companies are not prepared to put money into this project. Indeed it may be that their income will RISE when doctors are even worse trained !.


Medical education 'at breaking point'
Tuesday March 21, 2006
Fewer British doctors are prepared to battle time pressures, a lack of recognition and underfunding to teach medical students in hospitals, a conference was told today.
The British Medical Association's (BMA) conference of medical academics in London heard that increasing student numbers and the opening of new medical schools had left medical education at breaking point in the UK.
Professor Sir Charles George, the chairman of the BMA's board of medical education said many challenges faced medical education, including a lack of appropriate teacher training, teaching methods and funding shortfalls.
"Teaching, and a success in that, has not had the same recognition as research," Sir Charles said.
Professor Charles said the issues facing medical education also extended to changes in patient care and expectations. He said: "Some patients are less likely to want to be treated by a student and in gynaecology, ladies prefer not to have male students."
Sir Charles is leading a project called Doctors as Teachers, which has been investigating the problems of luring clinicians into education. A report with detailed recommendations is expected to be published in May.
Four new medical schools have opened in Britain since 2002 and there had been a 50% increase in the number of medical students since 1998, the conference heard.
The situation is expected to worsen, with figures indicating that there will be 7,000 medical graduates in Britain within three years despite looming fee increases.
Richard Hays, from the Council of Heads of Medical Schools, said top-up fees, which will see some universities charging £3,000 from September, would have a "profound impact on career choice" for medical students.
He said this would extend to medical academics who would have to ensure they always had "defensible measures of assessment" because students would be eager to finish their studies quickly in order to escape spiralling student debts.
Prof Hays said time constraints were a critical barrier in medical education. "To teach well, adds 30% more time," he said. A specialist in medical education, Prof Hays has set up new medical schools, with the most recent in Queensland, Australia, before transferring to Keele University this year.
He said universities needed to offer career developments and support for clinical academics, such as specifical medical education faculties.
He said medical education was transforming and modern hospitals were no longer the best place for undergraduate students to learn. He said: "The teaching workforce has to expand."