Reforming health professions education will require culture change and closer ties between classroom and practice

The size, composition, distribution, and skills of the health care workforce will determine the success of health care reform in the United States. Whatever the size of the workforce that will be required in the future to meet society's needs, how health professionals are educated merits additional attention. Reform of health professions education is needed in the following six critical areas: interprofessional education, new models for clinical education, new content to complement the biological sciences, new educational models based on competency, new educational technologies, and faculty development for teaching and educational innovation. Institutional and public policies need to support these innovations and the closer integration of education reform and health care delivery reform.