the thigh bone is connected to the money bone
The Australian has bought into the argument about medical education which has rumbled along at least since the development of the Flinders University Medical Centre in the 1970’s, and the growth of the community health movement.
The Australian Doctors Fund has been campaigning to reconstruct some aspects of medical courses, though not the brutal overwork of young doctors in the public health system. As far as I can tell, it represents the reactionary end of medicine built around the redbricks and opposing places like Monash.
It is an arcane argument – are students studying enough anatomy? – and I am sure there is truth on both sides. The progressives seem to be saying that students need to learn a lot more science these days, assisted by computers and visual imaging systems. The old guard claim that senior students can’t tell that a foot lives on the end of the leg.. in a litany of anecdotes. Both sides would admit the medical schools have seen a decade of change, which in the tertiary sector has been rarely constructive.
But I was amused by the way The Australian reported the story:
“TEACHING of basic anatomy in Australia’s medical schools is so inadequate that students are increasingly unable to locate important body parts – and in some cases even confuse one vital organ with another.
Senior doctors claim teaching hours for anatomy have been slashed by 80 per cent in some medical schools to make way for “touchy-feely” subjects such as “cultural sensitivity”, communication and ethics. The time devoted to other basic sciences – including biochemistry, physiology and pathology – has also been reduced.”
They can’t stop doing the culture wars schtick.
“… touchy-feely” subjects such as “cultural sensitivity”, communication and ethics.
Adam Cresswell, who wrote that, should immediately be hospitalised in the care of a bunch of doctors who have no cultural sensitivity to him (trained in the old Soviet Union, perhaps?), who refuse to talk to him, and are totally unethical.
Doctors are entitled to expect ethics from journalists too, of course. The Australian Doctors Fund might well think this thing is a beat-up, which injects the Australian’s current obsession with po-mo into what should be a description of a debate.
Mind you, the ADF is probably pleased that The Australian has made no effort to describe the politics of the Australian Doctors Fund, and did not quote the AMA or the Doctors Reform Group, both of which are probably to the left of the ADF.
More here from The Australian.
May 7th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
Medical service is a major industry of Ballarat
(since it services all the areas beyond)
and the per capita ratio of doctors is shocking
(1 for every 150 or it could be 1500).
One reason the 2 major hospitals are short of doctors is because in addition to medical qualifications they require applicants to hold a MANAGEMENT qualification. Ridiculous.
May 8th, 2006 at 9:28 am
I guess it is comforting to know that future doctors will be able to communicate sensitively with me as I explain to them where my prostate is and what it does!
May 8th, 2006 at 11:51 am
Shouldn’t they be trained well in both ‘cultural sensitivity’ and ‘anatomy’ — preferably?
May 8th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Anatomy is apparently an extremely hard subject. Many years ago I remember talking to a med student who bought a flat in Paddington on the tutoring in anatomy he gave other med students. It requires a talent which few have to remember not that the thigh bone is attached to the hip bone, but that this minute muscle and that minute muscle are in the wherever.
May 8th, 2006 at 11:38 pm
It’s a circular argument to weight these things differently.
There is no point in being a great anatomist if the patient doesn’t trust you enough to tell you where the problem is, and having all the empathy in the world won’t help the patient if you can’t identify where the problem is.
It’s all just part of our reactionary times – we’ll all be going around dipping our lids and saying Sir and Mister again soon