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The shift in medicine and how future doctors should be prepared

Medicine

A recent study by Martyn R Partridge, published in the Journal of the Royal College of Physicians has highlighted the need for the doctors of the future to be trained in accordance with the health burden that has changed across the globe. This shift included the:

  1. Changing patterns of disease and the need to change the type of care
  2. Patient’s expectation to have a partnership relationship with the doctor
  3. Patient easily access information from other sources so they become more informed about their condition and treatment options
  4. Longer-term conditions, which mean that the patient needs to be able to self-manage their condition for most of the year, with consultations with the health professional being scheduled periodically
  5. Real teamwork and integrated care

What could this mean for future medical students?

These shifts in medicine affect the training of medical student and their selection. Academic qualification is still the important requirement, but the future doctors need to learn more about approached such as:

  • Motivational interviewing (see our two-part series about MI here and here)
  • Understanding about working as a partnership with the patient
  • Appreciation in shared decision making between the doctor and patient
  • Giving self-management advice
  • Make an action plan

Partridge has also highlighted the fact that while potential medical students often believe that medicine involves running around in blue or green pyjamas, making diagnoses on critically ill patients, for most (with exceptions including obstetrics and paediatrics), medicine involves spending one-on-one time with older patients who might not be acutely unwell at the time. He suggests that attributes essential to a long, successful career in medicine include:

  • Good exam results, plus inherent inquisitiveness
  • A genuine commitment to teamwork and respect for the opinion of colleagues
  • Good performance in multiple mini interviews (a requirement for entry into many medical programs in Australia)

Image: COM SALUD- flickr

 

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