Medical students and patient-centred clinical practice: the case for more critical work in medical schools

TY - JOUR

T1 - Medical students and patient-centred clinical practice

T2 - the case for more critical work in medical schools

AU - Donetto, Sara

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - In the last two decades, undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom has undergone several important changes. Many of these have revolved around a paradigmatic shift from 'paternalistic' to 'patient-centred' approaches to healthcare. Adopting a Foucauldian understanding of power and borrowing from Freire's critical pedagogy, in this paper I draw upon ethnographic data from one UK medical school to illustrate the recurrence among medical students of narrow and uncritical understandings of patient-centred practices. These understandings highlight a tension between the ideals and frameworks of medical education policy and students' conceptualisations of professional learning and practice. I explore this tension by tracing some possible links between students' views of patient-centredness and the teaching practices at the medical school. I argue that more critical approaches to medical learning are sorely needed and suggest some directions for medical education that would help support the personal and professional development of more critically aware practitioners.

AB - In the last two decades, undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom has undergone several important changes. Many of these have revolved around a paradigmatic shift from 'paternalistic' to 'patient-centred' approaches to healthcare. Adopting a Foucauldian understanding of power and borrowing from Freire's critical pedagogy, in this paper I draw upon ethnographic data from one UK medical school to illustrate the recurrence among medical students of narrow and uncritical understandings of patient-centred practices. These understandings highlight a tension between the ideals and frameworks of medical education policy and students' conceptualisations of professional learning and practice. I explore this tension by tracing some possible links between students' views of patient-centredness and the teaching practices at the medical school. I argue that more critical approaches to medical learning are sorely needed and suggest some directions for medical education that would help support the personal and professional development of more critically aware practitioners.

KW - CURRICULUM

KW - EMPATHY

KW - patient-centred care

KW - medical education

KW - critical awareness

KW - PEDAGOGY

KW - EDUCATION

KW - CARE

KW - AWARENESS

U2 - 10.1080/01425692.2012.662821

DO - 10.1080/01425692.2012.662821

M3 - Article

SN - 0142-5692

VL - 33

SP - 431

EP - 449

JO - British Journal of Sociology of Education

JF - British Journal of Sociology of Education

IS - 3

ER -