Medical Education

The state of medical education and practice in the UK

The workforce report 2022

Source: The King’s Fund Health Management and Policy Alert

This report finds that the number of doctors joining the workforce overall has grown by around 17 per cent over the past five years, but that growth is not consistent. It varies considerably between different groups of doctors, leaving a shortfall in primary care that puts at risk patients’ ability to access GP services. The number of specialty and associate specialty (SAS) and locally employed (LE) doctors on the GMC register has increased at six times the rate of GPs, largely driven by doctors coming from overseas. Current rules actively prevent these doctors from working in areas such as primary care, and the GMC is proposing the government change the Performers List criteria to allow more doctors to work in general practice.

BMC Medical Education

Promoting positive perceptions of and motivation for research among undergraduate medical students to stimulate future research involvement: a grounded theory study

Research is of great value to make advancements within the medical field and, ultimately, offer the best possible patient care. Physician-scientists are key in contributing to the development of medicine, as they can bridge the gap between research and practice. However, medicine currently faces a physician-scientist shortage. A possible solution to cultivate physician-scientists is to engage medical students in research in early phases of medical school.

Medical students on long-term rural clinical placements and their perceptions of urban and rural internships: a qualitative study

There is some anecdotal evidence that anxiety about the responsibility of an intern influences rural future intentions. Additionally, research has shown that urban interns have reported that they are worried about being ‘forced’ to work in non-metropolitan hospitals in their first year after graduation. This study sought to explore rural medical students’ perceptions and expectations of a rural internship and how local health services and/or their medical school can prepare them best for a rural intern position.

Medical Students – Mental Health

Taking care of our future doctors: a service evaluation of a medical student mental health service

Studies suggest medical students experience high levels of mental distress during training but are less likely, than other students, to access care due to stigma and concerns regarding career progression. In response, The School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge supported the development of the ‘Clinical Student Mental Health Service’ to provide specialist input for this vulnerable group. This study evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of this service.

Read the study here

BMC Medical Education

Patient participation in medical student teaching: a survey of hospital patients

Despite the common practice of involving inpatients in the teaching of medical students little is known about the experience for patients. This study investigated inpatients’ willingness, motivations and experience with participation in medical student bedside teaching.

BMC Medical Education

Medical assessment in the age of digitalisation

Digital assessment is becoming more and more popular within medical education. To analyse the dimensions of this digital trend, this research investigated how exam questions (items) are created and designed for use in digital medical assessments in Germany.

Read the research here

Medical Education

Development in Danish medical students’ empathy: study protocol of a cross-sectional and longitudinal mixed-methods study

Clinical empathy has been associated with positive outcomes for both physicians and patients such as: more accurate diagnosis and treatment, increased patient satisfaction and compliance, and lower levels of burnout and stress among physicians. International studies show mixed results regarding the development of empathy among future physicians associating medical education with decline, stability or increase in empathy levels. These mixed results are due to several study limitations. In Denmark, no investigation of Danish medical students’ empathy trajectory has yet been conducted wherefore such a study is needed that optimizes the study design of earlier studies.

The state of medical education and practice in the UK: The workforce report 2019

General Medical Council, October 2019

This report draws on the GMC’s medical register data and findings from a new survey on doctors’ workplace experiences. It sets out recommendations to help inform emerging workforce strategies and people plans across the UK. The data shows that the UK’s medical register continues to grow, with many overseas doctors joining our workforce. However, the GMC states that health services must prioritise strategies to retain UK and non-UK trained doctors, and develop supportive workplace cultures with compassionate leaders.

Click here to view the full report.