Reflections on Relevance, Resistance, and Reform in Medical Education

Abstract

This chapter reflects upon the collective experiences of the eight schools participating in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's “Preparing Physicians for the Future: A Program in Medical Education,” highlighting the lessons learned over the five years of the program. The authors set the context and give a short history of the program. They discuss the ways in which the processes of change occurred at the eight schools, commenting on issues of leadership, governance, communication, faculty development, integration, instructional methods, student assessment, and program evaluation (all of which received lengthier treatment in earlier chapters). The authors conclude that changes in all of these areas are necessary for successful reform of medical education.