Column: Preclinical medical education is wastefully obsolete
By William J. L. Parker | July 8The preclinical years of medical education are a scam. Undergraduate medical education in America (i.e., the period before graduating with an M.D. degree) is generally split into two years in the classroom, and two years seeing patients in the clinic. This system was recommended by the Flexner Report more than a century ago, and it is a thorough blueprint for ensuring students learn the science and skill of medicine, respectively. Developments in self-study resources and medical curriculum norms, though, have made the price of the preclinical semesters absurd. The National Board of Medical Examiners should test — and medical schools should welcome — those who want to jump right into clinical studies.
