Principles for graduate medical education. Council on Medical Education

THE COUNCIL on Medical Education has responsibility for the study and evaluation of the continuum of medical education and is addressing graduate medical education (GME) with this report. The Council believes that the current system of GME, based on hospital-sponsored residencies, effectively prepares physicians for their future practice. The educational content of residency programs must respond to changes occurring now and those expected in the immediate future. The following are some changes that can affect GME: At present, virtually all medical school graduates complete a minimum of 3 years of residency training. The emphasis on health care provision has changed from largely inpatient care to a system that utilizes more ambulatory care than in the past; hospital stays are shorter; patients in hospitals tend to have more serious illnesses. Subspecialty education is receiving more emphasis. The need to define an appropriate balance between education and service remains. The appropriate supervision