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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19069878-23289,00.html
Unis producing doctors trained as social workers
Adam Cresswell, Health editor
May 09, 2006
UNIVERSITY medical schools have filled their curriculums with \"soft\" subjects to such an extent they are now busy turning out a generation of \"medical social workers and medical psychologists\" instead of doctors.
One of the country\'s top neurosurgeons warned that the decline of anatomy teaching was \"a growing cause of concern, to the point of panic\" among many surgeons, who felt powerless to stop the universities cutting traditional science subjects.
Leigh Atkinson, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Queensland, said the downgrading of science in favour of soft topics such as communication skills meant young doctors \"haven\'t got the basics they have to build their medical thinking on\".
Professor Atkinson said junior doctors\' understanding of anatomy was \"very poor\".
\"I think the people running the medical schools have to justify to the profession why they are changing direction, and what are the benefits of changing direction,\" he said.
\"It would seem they are trying to turn our medical students into glorified social workers... we are going to be producing medical social workers and medical psychologists.\"
Professor Atkinson said senior doctors \"do not feel the universities are listening to the clinical colleges\" about what skills medical students needed.
\"There\'s this big rush to see how much money they can get ... I think they are forgetting the basic principles.\"
The Weekend Australian on Saturday revealed widespread alarm among senior doctors over the decline in anatomy training to make way for \"touchy-feely\" subjects such as \"cultural sensitivity\". One group, the Australian Doctors\' Fund, sent a dossier to the federal Government last week detailing its concerns.
Final-year Monash University medical student Michael Gardner said up to 25 per cent of his course was now focused on cultural sensitivity and other subjects such as ethics, law and \"personal development\".
Sensitivity training taught students that some ethnic groups had \"different expectations\" of doctors, and that they should \"be aware that things you say may be viewed in a different way than how you intend\".
A smaller module on personal development focused on \"relaxation techniques\" and \"how to manage stress\".
Education Minister Julie Bishop said she was \"concerned by the issues raised\" in the ADF submission, which will be considered in a current review of medical education.
Unis producing doctors trained as social workers
Adam Cresswell, Health editor
May 09, 2006
UNIVERSITY medical schools have filled their curriculums with \"soft\" subjects to such an extent they are now busy turning out a generation of \"medical social workers and medical psychologists\" instead of doctors.
One of the country\'s top neurosurgeons warned that the decline of anatomy teaching was \"a growing cause of concern, to the point of panic\" among many surgeons, who felt powerless to stop the universities cutting traditional science subjects.
Leigh Atkinson, associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Queensland, said the downgrading of science in favour of soft topics such as communication skills meant young doctors \"haven\'t got the basics they have to build their medical thinking on\".
Professor Atkinson said junior doctors\' understanding of anatomy was \"very poor\".
\"I think the people running the medical schools have to justify to the profession why they are changing direction, and what are the benefits of changing direction,\" he said.
\"It would seem they are trying to turn our medical students into glorified social workers... we are going to be producing medical social workers and medical psychologists.\"
Professor Atkinson said senior doctors \"do not feel the universities are listening to the clinical colleges\" about what skills medical students needed.
\"There\'s this big rush to see how much money they can get ... I think they are forgetting the basic principles.\"
The Weekend Australian on Saturday revealed widespread alarm among senior doctors over the decline in anatomy training to make way for \"touchy-feely\" subjects such as \"cultural sensitivity\". One group, the Australian Doctors\' Fund, sent a dossier to the federal Government last week detailing its concerns.
Final-year Monash University medical student Michael Gardner said up to 25 per cent of his course was now focused on cultural sensitivity and other subjects such as ethics, law and \"personal development\".
Sensitivity training taught students that some ethnic groups had \"different expectations\" of doctors, and that they should \"be aware that things you say may be viewed in a different way than how you intend\".
A smaller module on personal development focused on \"relaxation techniques\" and \"how to manage stress\".
Education Minister Julie Bishop said she was \"concerned by the issues raised\" in the ADF submission, which will be considered in a current review of medical education.