Educational sciences and medical education

Samenvatting

Medical education is more and more beinginfluenced by social change. It is being affected by changing social needs, advances inscientific knowledge, population explosionsand organizational and communication problems as never before in history.In this transitional period we are uncertainabout the objectives of medical education inmodem society. We have our doubts about theContent of the curriculum and we are notsure how to teach medical sciences and howto organize medical education. Indeed, when^e make decisions we are not always surewhat their consequences are going to be. Faced with the modem explosion in knowl®dge we see the impossibility of extendingthe content of existing curricula further. There^as a time when this could still be done,hut what today would be the financial, personal and social consequences if the medicalcoürse were lengthened? And are we convincedthat lengthening training will improve thequality of future physicians? Another impor^nt need is to improve communication betreen physician and patiënt, between medical^ïid auxiliary personnel and between hospital^^^ patiënt. What kind of professional attitudes