News: Who will be tomorrow's doctors? Discuss
Alastair Henderson, Joint Director of NHS Employers
25 March 2009
Doctors played a key role at a consultative conference at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
Doctors, medical students, health employers and patient groups had the opportunity to influence the GMC’s guidance for medical schools at a consultative conference held in March at the Royal College of Physicians in London.
Opening the conference, GMC Chair, Professor Sir Graeme Catto, described the consultation into Tomorrow’s Doctors as: ‘the most important review of GMC guidance since that of Good Medical Practice.’
The guidance, once revised, will influence how all medical students in the future are taught, and how future junior doctors will be prepared for work once they begin their posts in the Foundation Programme.
Attendees debated key elements within the draft guidance, from preparedness (see also page 10) to professionalism, clinical experience to assessment.
Professor Michael Farthing, Chair of the Tomorrow’s Doctors Review Group, presented a summary of the work of the Group. He told delegates that, from the outset, the group had wanted Tomorrow’s Doctors to be, above all, a ‘useful’ document.
The proposed structure of the draft guidance separates the desired outcomes for medical students into three sections, covering the doctor as a scholar and scientist; as a practitioner; and as a professional. It also sets out separate standards for the delivery of teaching, learning and assessment.
The new guidance will be published in the autumn.