Got 2011 Australian Learning Teaching Council award..
Citation for outstanding contribution to student learning in early career category.
Link to ALTC (http://www.olt.gov.au/award-outstanding-contributions-recipient-2011-associate-professor-murthy) And James Cook University award for “Technology Enhnaced Cognitive Scaffolding, a innovative delivery of Pathology in rural medical school. (http://www.jcu.edu.au/teaching/JCU_085335.html)
One man army…! “Teaching of pathology using Technology Enhanced Cognitive Scaffolding” a concept for a new education model.
1. Shortage of medically qualified Academic staff – severe… CRISIS.
2. Increasing students, diverse distance rural/remote locations
3. Lengthy medical course – 6 years for basic study followed by 1-2 years of clinical training. Then 3-5 years of specialist registrar training.
4. Post graduate training is in crisis – Specialist colleges (Royal Colleges) remote from trainee (one college per subject for the whole nation…!) – lack capacity to monitor training. Trainee rotates through different placements under busy specialists no structured educational support of medical school.
5. Shortage of training places as training is restricted by training places. (3 specialists / trainee place) Royal college rules.
6. Quality of medical education decreasing alarmingly… (AMC accreditation report – only 2 medical schools in Australia have full unconditional accreditation Dec 2010).
THERE IS URGENT NEED FOR DISCUSSION ON THIS “CRISIS” BY POLICY MAKERS & STAKEHOLDERS.
How dare I say this? – I have been teaching medical students for over 2 decades in several countries. No doubt medical course is still the most respected & wanted. However I believe in my professional career medical education has detiriorated gradualy and significantly specially in western world and I am basing my views on my experience in Australia since my arrival in 2005.
Significant deterioration is in basic science teaching although clinical teaching is also affected. Major driving force in Australia is lack of experienced medical professionals. As expected major metropolitan cities attract more professionals and rural areas do not. being lack of full time academic clinical teaching staff. Most medical schools rely on part time teaching input from clinicians working in the hospitals. Separation of in the basic , disparity between clinical and Significant Reduction in basic science teaching, I attribute some of this Some of the significant changes are
(please note: this is work in progress… I will be updating regularly in my free time. Thanks.)
