ESTABLISHING STANDARDS AND MEASUREMENT METHODS FOR MEDICAL-EDUCATION - RESPONSE

In France, medical schools are evaluated as part of the evaluation of universities. The goal is not accreditation but rather description, cr iticism, and recommendations. The sis steps of the assessment procedur e are briefly described, as are the practical consequences. Standardiz ation of medical education is a difficult challenge because some aspec ts have different solutions depending on the medical environment of th e country or district. Areas posing problems include access to good ex perience in general medicine, the balance between basic science and cl inical teaching, and the need to prepare students to keep learning thr oughout their careers. Finally, despite interest in public health educ ation, we must remember when establishing standards for education of p hysicians that medical activity remains a personal relationship betwee n one patient and one doctor.