Some thoughts about creating healthcare professionals that match what societies need

Healthcare is becoming increasingly complex across the globe; technology, delivery models, economic requirements, demographics and the epidemiology of disease are changing at a rapid pace. Despite the multiple efforts in defining common competencies and standards that all healthcare professionals should meet, it has become clear that educational and training programs have to adjust to the needs of societies they serve, and that the institutions that design and deliver those programs need to be accountable to society for the products they produce. Academic institutions that educate healthcare professionals will have to interact differently with the many stakeholders needed to create effective and efficient, and culturally appropriate healthcare systems. Present day medical education has its roots in the European university which traditionally valued academic freedom, autonomy and independent research over serving society and the job market; future efforts will require a fundamental shift in the outlook and measures of success for academic institutions. The recent outcomes and competency movement is a first step in that direction but more will need to be done. Rather than being one participant, possibly a reluctant one, academia should become the catalyst for change, the hub for stakeholder interactions, and the breeding ground for the new healthcare workforce.