ARE MEDICAL-STUDENTS MISSING OUT

Increasing discontent, even boredom, shown by many clinical medical st udents is in marked contrast to the enthusiasm of school children inte rviewed for a place at medical school. The roots of the problem are so wn in the pre-clinical years with too much teaching that is of little relevance to clinical practice and insufficient contact with clinical problems that are needed to keep the youthful flame of idealism alive. In clinical years disillusion continues with less time available for teaching by NHS colleagues because of clinical directorates and other administrative chores and a far from ideal balance between teaching an d research activities amongst academic staff. To help enthusiasm retur n we recommend greater clinical involvement in the pre-clinical years, teaching to be better valued and teaching and examination methods rea ssessed. More self-directed learning, though desirable, will be diffic ult unless adequate resources are made available. At a time of increas ed pressure on all sides if we cannot meet the challenge of modern und ergraduate clinical education disillusion amongst our students will co ntinue with serious implications for the whole continuum of medical ed ucation.