Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education
-
Biography Historical Article
Abraham Flexner--a crusader against medical maleducation.
The Flexner Report, one of the most cited publications in medical education, describes the site-visits to 163 medical schools in 40 American states, in terms of admission requirements, number of students, number of faculty, etcetera. The Flexner Reports (there are three!) are still worth reading. For instance, Flexner holds a plea for problem orientation. "The student is to collect and to evaluate facts. ⋯ Flexner's significance as a medical educator is illustrated by a discussion of the role of the teacher and the nature of medical education. Learning, not teaching, is what it is all about. It is argued that cancer education can learn from Flexner's insights.
-
The development of the specialty of palliative medicine has produced variable activity in the field of medical education. This article reviews published papers (primarily from Europe but with reference to other countries) identifies the extent of activity, and notes the absence of evaluative work. Undergraduate and postgraduate activity is identified.