Introduction
The purpose of this work is a comparative analysis of changes in medical education from the 1800s to the present day, with consideration of all intermediate stages of its transformation. The main ideas of the paper are the influence exerted by the development of new technologies and trends in global healthcare on the needs of the medical field. The flexibility of this field has led to a gradual shift in medical education toward the form widely used today for the training of medical specialists.
The Changing Scope of Medical Education
The scope of change in medical education from the 1800s to today is quite large. At various stages, transformations occurred in the educational process, the timing of medical training, the departmental affiliations of medical universities, and faculty specifics (Stevens, 1996). Nowadays, the newer technologies impacting medical training are extremely widespread.
For example, simulation training provides medical education students with an opportunity to practice clinical skills in a controlled environment. This can include virtual simulation training, the use of dummies, or work in simulation centers (AEH, n. d.). Simulation training helps students master practical skills, make real-time decisions, and develop teamwork (AEH, n. d.).
Virtual and augmented reality also offer new opportunities for learning in medicine. With the help of virtual reality, students can immerse themselves in a three-dimensional environment and train on virtual patients or complex clinical cases (Young & Kroth, 2018). Augmented reality allows them to combine virtual objects with a real environment, providing students with unique opportunities to study anatomy and procedures.
Cultural changes are associated with the introduction of a more strictly medical ethical code, prohibiting, in some cases, the use of corpses of patients or living patients for training. Mandated changes are related to the consolidation of these ethical standards at the official level and giving them a physical justification for the health and safety of students and patients(Young & Kroth, 2018). Therefore, there have been both mandated and cultural changes that have impacted medical education.
Apprenticeship Model vs. Academic Model
Description and Comparison of Both Models
Apprenticeship models of medical education in the 1800s consisted of assigning individual students to foreign doctors. Such training was aimed at preparing doctors to treat more noble persons (Stevens, 1996). Unlike the apprenticeship and academic module, the academic module in the 1800s focused on people with low incomes (Young & Kroth, 2018).
The training was conducted in groups, but the spectrum of diseases studied in apprenticeship and academic models, despite the differences in educational goals, was similar. In the 1960s, the contrast between apprenticeship and academic models was that, with the latter, one could obtain an officially documented medical degree (AEH, n. d.). At the same time, neither in the apprenticeship nor in the academic module was graduation for doctors carried out ahead of schedule, as in the 1800s, due to wars, but they still passed all the required stages.
In the early 2000s, the entire higher education system underwent several significant changes, primarily related to the transition to a multi-level system and standardization of education. As a result of the changes, the apprenticeship and academic models merged, now representing complementary stages (Penn Nursing, n. d.). Today, academic models precede apprenticeship, consolidating theoretical knowledge gained in practice. As in the early 2000s, they rely on the same evidence-based practice (AEH, n. d.). However, at the same time, today the apprenticeship is also designed to highlight differences in academic models, whereas in the early 2000s, it served exclusively to unify them.
Analysis of Evolution and Impact
Two models have evolved from opposites, becoming links in the same chain of medical training. Initially, the apprenticeship model assumed individual training aimed at treating wealthy patients (Stevens, 1996). At the same time, academic models of education presented an accelerated version of medical education for the purpose of treating common citizens (Sheingold & Hahn, 2014).
Then, due to the gradual convergence of these models, they became interconnected and preceded each other. The impact the evolution of these models has had on the quality of patient care is positive. It was one of the elements of social development, erasing the gap between rich and poor, and contributing to the formation of a middle-class stratum.
Importance of Understanding the History of Medicine
It is important to understand the history of medical education in order to help improve medical education in the future. It helps to trace by practical example how certain trends have influenced the development of medicine and society as a whole (Sheingold & Hahn, 2014). For example, this can be illustrated by a sharp increase in trust in doctors on the part of patients after the introduction of medical ethics. On the contrary, as history shows, the elitization of the medical profession and closed academic programs have made the treatment of patients difficult, causing them to distrust doctors.
Conclusion
Therefore, this research provided a comparative examination of the evolution of medical education from the 1800s to the present, taking into account all the historical epochs in between. It was found that the impact that emerging technologies and global healthcare trends have on the demands of the medical industry is of great importance. Medical education has gradually shifted to the format currently commonly used for the training of medical specialists due to this field’s adaptable nature.
References
America’s Essential Hospitals. (n. d.). History of public hospitals in the United States.
Penn Nursing. (n. d.). History of hospitals. University of Pennsylvania.
Sheingold, B. H., & Hahn, J. A. (2014). The history of healthcare quality: The first 100 years 1860–1960. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 1, 18–22.
Stevens, R. A. (1996). Health care in the early 1960s. Health Care Financing Review, 18(2), 11–22.
Young, K. M., & Kroth, P. J. (2018). Sultz & Young’s health care USA: Understanding its organization and delivery (9th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.