Changes in Medical Education

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Community College of Allegheny County *

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FPX4003

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Medicine

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by DoctorPheasantMaster108

1 Changes in Medical Education Connie Osiecki Capella University BHA-FPX4002: History of the United States Health Care System Dr. Shad Smith November 2023

2 Changes in Medical Education The landscape of medical education has dramatically changed from the 1800s to today. In the 1800s, most medical students never attended college, and some barely knew how to read or write. Medical support staff was non-existent; therefore, doctors practiced alone and collected payments themselves. By the mid-century 1900s, medical schools grew, but their diplomas were considered licenses (Young, 2017). There were support staff as well, such as nurses and secretaries. Fast forward to the 2000s, we have multiple types of physicians, specialists, and medical support staff, and the education dramatically differs depending on the level of the support staff. Apprenticeship Model vs. Academic Model Description and Comparison of Both Models Most of our early history of the healthcare profession had few regulations for education. Providers were primarily "learned gentlemen" with few effective practical skills (Groccia & Ford, 2020). After the war in 1812, medical schools were rapidly increasing, but education needed to be more consistent. Moving into the 1900s, the American Medical Association (AMA) helped restructure medical education as physicians had to complete apprenticeships. The apprenticeship system incorporated hands-on instruction from a practitioner and involved supervision as they learned as medical students. The apprenticeship system grew due to the World Wars, as there were shortages of medical staff due to men being out fighting for the country. The AMA suggested students complete a minimum of one year in college (Numbers, 2014). Despite the efforts of the AMA's attempt to standardize medical education, it was Flexner

3 who helped reform medical education. Apprenticeships were just the building block of the academic model. The academic model was an era where strict adherence to medical education was a must. Doctors wanting the ability to practice medicine came with having to do four years of a medical school curriculum, two years of basic science education, followed by two requirements, including a high school diploma and a minimum of two years of college science (Groccia & Ford, 2020). Flexner proposed this medical school curriculum, and only 66 medical schools survived the reform. In addition to medical schools being reformed, they also partnered with hospitals, enhancing the student experience. Once the academic model was in place, medical schools started standardized testing for admission. The standardized testing was called the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The development of the MCAT was a significant step in the beginning of the quality of medicine (Groccia & Ford, 2020). Analysis of Evolution and Impact The apprenticeship model, being the backbone of the academic model, proves the quality of medical education has grown very strictly as healthcare demands continue to grow exponentially. Healthcare, from no medical education to strenuous and vigorous training of years of ongoing medical education, has an enormous impact on the survivors of sickness and diseased patients. In the 1900s, an apprenticeship with another practicing physician was better than no medical education in the early 1800s, proving that science education helped sustain and keep patients alive. The evolution of medical education continues to address the vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in healthcare. Continuous medical education is essential to caring for complex patients, as well as non-complex patients. Once medical schools became standardized and a high school diploma, as well as a higher education, was mandatory, the quality of healthcare became considerably better, and deaths became significantly lower. The academic model has continued to

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