He writes:
The training programs of physician’s assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) dispense with much of the medical school minutia filled intense basic science courses and provide more direct practical clinical training in less than half the time it takes to train most MDs.
Although there is something disturbing about doctors who do not know where the prostate gland is.
Related posts:
- Too much basic science?
- Should specialists be re-trained as primary care physicians?
- What can doctors learn from Captain Chesley Sullenberger?
- What role should nurse practitioners play in primary care?
- Uncertainty
- Physicians as healthcare providers
- Training the well-mannered physician
KevinMD.com on Facebook
{ 11 comments }
The prostate gland is located in Mississippi.
A recent survey of high school students in this country revealed that about 1/3 of students could not locate New Orleans, or the state Mississippi.
Apparently, several of these students gained admission to Monash University Coll. of Medicine.
At that university they went on to excell in genetics and are now able to splice monofilaments of nucleotides on each of their patients with BPH, but were, unfortunately unable to perform prostatic exams – unable to locate the rectum.
Each patient was referred for prostatic ultrasonography – and subsequently placed on some type of ‘new age’ organic food from the vitamin shoppe.
The good news was that some of the students, while feverishly searching for the prostate, did perform throat exams and got a good look at the tympanic membrane.
One student thought that a tympanic membrane perforation was a fistula in the Sylvian Aquaduct – and referred the patient for placement of a ‘Camino,’ to relieve intracranial pressure.
All of this goes to show that these ramblings about not understanding anatomy are just a bunch of ridiculous attempts to sabotage the Australian medical education system.
Now that I’ve tried to inject a little humor into this report – I would like to follow my own posting with a serious note.
Speaking as an anesthesiologist, pain specialist, I would sincerely like to say that Australia, South Africa and The UK have produced some of the most outstanding anesthesia attendings I have ever had the privilege, and honor to learn from and work with.
I would very seriously doubt that the same educational systems that produced these absolutely great doctors – leaders in the field – could allow a decay in their learning centers reflective of the accusations documented in this report.
I, for one, studied the basic sciences as though my life depended on learning and memorizing everything in sight – anatomy included. While I have forgotten much of the minutiae – I do recall the portions germane to my specialty; and continue to be bombarded by those aspects repeated, time and again, in journal articles and review courses. I’m sure this is similar to all of your experiences.
I don’t know what to make of this report – how true it is – and what it means with regard to Australian education, in general.
I doubt that Australia is turning out poorly educated doctors.
Their anesthesiologists are superbly trained.
I’d like to see doctors who knew more about basic math, especially statistics, since they cannot adequately interpret research, test results, or financial information in many cases
Elliot, you mean unlike you in which you have displayed your ignorance on TPA in stroke, among other topics.
In addition to 3 semesters of calculus and stastitics, I took differential equations in college. I got an A in every class. My major was liberal arts (4 years).
Compared to most doctors I know, (at least from my experience in med school and residency) I am not one of the smart ones. (or probably even in the top third)
Eliot, I think you’ll find most doctors have a more than satisfactory understand of statistics and mathematics. To question the mathematical ability of people who are able to get into medicals school is like questioning the athleticism of people in professoinal sports. You have no idea what you are talking about.
I also know that ‘i’ is the square root of -1. That is probably the most useless piece of information I have ever learned. How is that of any use to a doctor? You guys are morons if you’re defending teaching basic science and calculus, differential equations, and what not…
“You guys are morons if you’re defending teaching basic science and calculus”
You are right, we should just shake a bag of bones or shuffle some tarot cards to help decide a diagnosis and treatment and be completely oblivious to any of the basic science behind it.
Isn’t that what ND’s do?
Yep, tPA is a great example. PSA screening is another and let’s not forget your insistence that lawsuits and malpractice premiums are killing medicine in the US. Another innumerate idea that physicians hold dearly is that standards don’t work and that they should be allowed free range of their egos in treating patients. How about the idea that the US has the best healthcare in the world? Then there was the statement that Texas maplractice legislation increased the number of physicians practicing when the absolute and relative numbers showed exactly the opposite (two years pre-passage vs. two years post-passage). I won’t even address your wierd victim cult where many of you think you’re so abused even though you sit at the top of the pyramid.
Elliott’s comment is an example of “truthiness”.
As a doctor who has participated in the training of final-semester APRN students I can tell you that it’s not just basic science getting the shaft. These women came to me with little or no training in orthopedics or dermatology. They knew not one joint exam and could not recognize any but the most rudimentary rashes (poison ivy).
And calculus needs to continue to be a pre-req for medicine. Pharmacodynamics is an essential field and calculus is necessary to understanding it. Also, it reflects that a potential med student is capable of the type of logical thought necessary to succeed in med school.
Comments on this entry are closed.