Ten things I learned when writing a book of medical education quotations

Medical education has had a long history. Much of that history can be captured in quotations from the many people who have made medical education what it is today. Even though newcomers to the field often see and approach problems as if they were the first to discover them, examining quotations makes us realise that ideas of reform in medical education have been around a long time. Despite the longevity of ideas however, the pace of change has sometimes been slow. Quotations can help us realise the myriad of reasons that have contributed to this slow pace-sometimes a fear of change, sometimes an ill-conceived desire to develop innovations that will be proved to work for all learners in all circumstances. Even though quotations can show where medical education in the past has at times gone wrong, they can also point to a bright future-where intelligent and passionate people reflect and debate on the directions that our important specialty should take.