The changing landscape of medical education in the UK

The UK shares many characteristics with other western developed countries, including a current adherence to the view that defining educational outcomes enables improvements in learning and teaching and a more effective management of the learning and assessment process. There are, however, some features that make UK medical education unique or that give it a distinctive flavour. This article looks at the various forces that shape medical education in the UK and the structures that underpin its delivery, and discusses the distinctive climate that is produced, in which doctors, students and medical teachers are expected to work. We examine and assess these special features of UK medical education and report on the ways in which medical education and medical educators are adapting to the complex and constantly changing environment. We conclude that the healthcare and higher education systems in the UK face unprecedented economic and political challenges over the coming years. Medical educators working within these systems have an important role in ensuring that these challenges are met and that standards are maintained and improved. A stronger professional architecture to support careers in medical education is needed to ensure that those involved in teaching medical students and doctors have the necessary training, time, resources and incentives to do it effectively.