Many of the 1991 recommendations duplicate the comments of the 1980 Recommendations, as it was recognised that there there had been limited reform of the medical curriculum. The principle aims of basic medical education should ensure that:
- Attitudes are as important as skills and knowledge
- Students acquire an atttitude to learning based on curiosity and exploration of knowledge rather than passive acquisition
- Existing undergraduate course students to have direct contact with patients
- Students acquire an understanding of health and sickness, and of the prevention and management of disease, in the context of the whole person within the family and society.
- Students acquire knowledge and understanding of the scientific method, together with the ability to assess and evaluate evidence and to discover how knowledge is acquired.
- Students achieve an understanding og the methods of research
GMC main recommendations for change in medical education include:
- a reduction in excessive factual load
- more critical thinking
- more self directed learning
- more integration of course
- earlier clinical contact
- more community based teaching
- more emphasis on
- extended clinical skills
- management versus treatment
- communication skills
- prevention and rehabilitation
- behavioural sciences, palliative care, ethics, health economics