British medical undergraduates in 1975: a student survey in 1975 compared with 1966

Undergraduate medical education in Britain has been in a state of change since before the introduction of the National Health Service. Since then the changes in the General Medical Councils's recommendations concerning the medical curriculum (1947, 1957, 1967) have accompanied attention to curricular content, and the manpower requirements of the Health Service have drawn attention to the career preferences of students. Martin & Boddy (1962) reported a survey of medical students throughout the United Kingdom which was carried out under the auspices of the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME). A questionnaire was used which covered such areas as reactions to the medical school and curriculum, professional expectations and attitudes, and career preferences. Then in 1966 a similar survey was carried out by ASME and the National Foundation for Educational Research, providing data for the Royal Commission on Medical Education and published as Appendix 19 of the Todd Report (1968). The survey in 1966 used a questionnaire which investigated the background of the students, the course and students' reaction to it, and career aims, considering first preclinical and final year students only.