A model for the analysis of professions and professional education applied to medical doctors in South Africa

This article presents a model that has the potential to frame research and analysis across a range of different professional contexts. Professions and their professional education programmes are seen in relation to national and international professional labour markets and the multiple socio-economic, political and discursive conditions that constitute professional milieu. Viewed in this way the profession and education of medical practitioners poses a number of challenges that also have relevance for other professions. Here have been concerted efforts by medical schools to change the demographics of their student populations and to introduce community -and problem-based curricula. However, the question remains: are they producing doctors which South African so desperately needs, doctors who have the competence to work anywhere in the world but the conscience to remain in this country and serve where needed most, which could be in the public or rural service?