The Second Flexnerian Report: Implications, Applications and Expectations

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Not in the century since Flexner's epic report that reformed medical education, has there been such change in the training of physicians. The Carnegie Foundation again commissioned a blueprint to improve the education of physicians for our times holding a promise to reshape the future for decades to come. It has the promise to also impact medical education for decades to come. To paraphrase the four main findings of the report, the I's have it: 1) individualize the path to standardized learning outcomes; 2) integrate and collaborate in learning; 3) inquiry and improvements should become habits; and 4) identity formation of the physician as a professional should be strengthened. We are privileged to have authors of this report and leaders in medical education present their thoughts on the opportunities and challenges facing changes in contemporary medical education.

1910 and 2010: What's with these Carnegie reports on medical education?

Twice over the past one hundred years The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has called for the reform of medical education. In 1910, Abraham Flexner stressed the importance of scientific research and educational excellence in the training of physicians, which resulted in a transformation of medical education. In 2010, the Carnegie Foundation called for actions that will transform medical education again: standardization of learning outcomes and individualization of learning processes; integration of formal knowledge and clinical experience; development of habits of inquiry and improvement; and explicit attention to the formation of professional identity (Cooke M, Irby DM, O'Brien BC. Educating Physicians: A Call for Reform of Medical school and Residency). In this webcast. Dr. Irby will describe the Flexnerian legacy and the key recommendations of the report. Subsequent webcasts will deal with the report's major themes separately.

Educating Physicians: A Focus on Integration, Inquiry, Innovation and Improvement.

"Educating Physicians" calls for an integrated approach to medical education and cultivation of habits of mind and cultures that support inquiry, innovation, and improvement. In this session we will discuss the context and impetus for these two recommendations as well as relevant literature from the learning sciences. Then we will delve into practical applications and promising examples of these recommendations in undergraduate and graduate medical education. We will conclude with time for participants to discuss ways of applying these recommendations to educational programs in their own institutions.

Individualization and Standardization in Medical Education: Holy Grail or Third Rail?

Objectives:

1. Describe drivers of and barriers to the widespread adoption of the principles of individualization and standardization
2. List current teaching strategies that are compatible with individualization and standardization
3. Cite pedagogical theories that support an individualization and standardization approach
4. Describe elements of a successful individualization and standardization program
5. Give examples of innovative educational programs implementing an individualized and standardized curriculum.

Instituting and Using a Holistic Admissions Process

The Holistic Admission webcast is designed to assist both biomedical science and clinical faculty in exploring the complex dynamics of weighing and balancing applicants' experiences and attributes with their academic achievements as a means of accomplishing the mission-based excellence they seek. The author provides a background for instituting and using a holistic review process to screen, interview and select applicants for medical school admissions while offering a context for the motivation for change, the challenges faced and the lessons learned.

Professional Identity Formation 

The role of the physician in society has always required a broad-based education. However, during the most recent decades, emphasis on the improvement of health care delivery has broadened even further the variety of curricular areas that are important in medical education. In this talk, Dr. Skeff will highlight and discuss a conceptual model to help identify and focus attention on these expanding curricular areas. It is hoped that this model can enable faculty to identify areas for expanded focus and trainees can identify areas of emphasis for their careers.

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