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Quality in postgraduate medical education: A contested idea
1University College London Medical School, UK; The Open University, UK; Centre for Medical Education in Context [CenMEDIC], UK.
Clinical Medicine (London, England)
|April 30, 2026
Summary
The concept of quality in postgraduate medical education is poorly understood, lacking evidence for its characteristics. Its definition and application are politically influenced and evolve with societal values.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Health Policy
- Quality Management
Background:
- The concept of 'quality' underpins educational regulation and practice.
- Current understanding of 'quality' in postgraduate medical education is largely unexamined.
- There is a lack of robust evidence defining the characteristics of good quality postgraduate medical education.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the history, definition, uses, limitations, and effects of 'quality' in postgraduate medical education (PGME).
- To analyze how ideas of quality influence interventions and are perceived by stakeholders.
- To explore the political nature of 'quality' in PGME.
Main Methods:
- Historical analysis of the concept of quality in PGME.
- Examination of dominant social values and political imperatives shaping quality definitions.
- Analysis of various quality-related interventions (e.g., improvement, management, assurance, regulation).
Main Results:
- The derivation and characteristics of 'quality' in PGME are not well-established.
- Ideas of quality are dynamic, influenced by societal and political factors.
- Quality concepts are inherently political and inform diverse interventions used by different stakeholders.
Conclusions:
- The understanding and application of 'quality' in postgraduate medical education require further investigation.
- Despite shifts in regulatory power, the medical profession retains responsibility for quality.
- The political nature of quality necessitates critical examination in PGME.
Keywords:
Context and qualityDefinitions of quality in educationEvidence and judgement of educational qualityHistory of quality in educationLevels of intervention in educational qualityLimitation of quality definitionOwnership of educational qualityPolitics of qualityQuality in postgraduate medical educationRegulation of postgraduate medical educationStandards and quality
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