Educational issues in rheumatology

Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common cause of severe long-term pa in and physical disability, affecting hundreds of millions of people around the world. Nearly a quarter of all consultations in primary care are conce rned with rheumatic disease, yet undergraduate education in rheumatology is under-developed all over the world and does not get the attention it deser ves. This has important consequences for the early diagnosis of rheumatic d isease and the proper care of rheumatic patients in general, as well as for the esteem of rheumatology as a profession. Because the high prevalence an d impact of rheumatic disease are not reflected in medical curricula, the I nternational League of Associations for Rheumatology developed the Undergra duate Medical Education in Rheumatology 2000 Project. The project embodies three fundamental concepts: (1) to convince medical faculties and schools e ducating health professionals world wide that skills in examination, a know ledge of the management of musculoskeletal disease and a positive attitude to disability are the basis of good medical practice; (2) that rheumatology is valuable for acquiring skills in problem-solving, clinical reasoning an d understanding basic genetic, immunological and biochemical mechanisms, as illustrated by rheumatic disease; and (3) to orient these programmes to th e needs of individual patients in the context of the population at large, k nowing that 20% of all primary care consultations involve musculoskeletal d isease. The movement of doctors throughout the world, especially within Eur ope, is leading to initiatives to harmonize standards of specialist trainin g. The importance of ensuring the highest standard of clinical care, achiev ing the greatest gain in health alongside a rapid advance in knowledge and clinical practice, is increasing the priority for continuing medical educat ion and methods to ensure that doctors remain competent at all stages of th eir career.