Medical education and the pursuit of excellence : the quest for the Holy Grail?

Abstract

Medical education in Europe is currently facing enormous challenges brought about by the number and the diversity of medical schools that are now within the fold. This diversity is amplified by different educational systems, cultural and socioeconomic issues, health care delivery systems and the ever increasing burden of communicable and non-communicable disease. There is also a movement away from traditional taught curricula to curricula that emphasise self-directed learning and thererby promote lifelong learning. The ultimate goal of undergraduate medical curricula should be to produce a medical doctor with certain core competances and the right basis for further specialisation and adaptability to different roles in health care. Furthermore, increasing professional mobility has highlighted the need for the establishment and maintenance of standards for quality assurance common to all EU countries.