Having spent 3 and a bit years at medical school, I can relate to the lack of continuity medical students and doctors have with patients. During my time, I had 4 visits with a pregnant woman, and several with a cancer patient. These were designed to do what this new program at Harvard Medical School is doing - giving medical students an insight into the process of being a patient, instead of a one-off 3 minute bedside consultation.
The Harvard program, the Cambridge Integrated Clerkship, takes third year students through a year with the disciplines taught along side each other instead of in discrete blocks. This provides the chance to follow patients over time, seeing the impact of their illness and all those involved in managing it.
She mentions the principles of commitment that it installs in her - something I would treasure as a patient. It would allow the social, emotional and practical aspects of ill health to be conveyed.
Read the full article here, and a review of the program here.
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