How Did the Flexner Report Change Medical Education?

How did the Flexner Report change medical education?

The Flexner report entitled "Medical Education in the United States and Canada" written by Abraham Flexner was published by the Carnegie Foundation in 1910. The Carnegie Foundation appointed Abraham Flexner to investigate and rate medical schools in the United States and Canada. So Flexner undertake a study of medical education across the United States and Canada where he visited 155 medical schools in order to evaluate their laboratory and clinical facilities, admission requirement, student fees, endowment funds and quality of teaching. Although reform in medical education was already under way but the Flexner report on medical school education was very influential in changing medical education.

Before the Flexner report, most of the medical schools were primarily for profit, they were proprietary schools of medicine (non-university affiliated) that were administered by physician in private practice. Medical education was mainly a source of income to physicians. However, there were a limited number of schools which were affiliated with universities. The requirement at different medical schools varied widely, there were little standardization regulating how medical education was delivered. The quality of their teaching staff, laboratories and clinical facilities varied tremendously as well. Anybody could be admitted in medical schools as long as they can pay for it. Medical education lack entrance requirement and licensing examinations. The number of practicing doctors was not regulated so there was an oversupply of physicians that resulted in an abundance of reliable medicine in the early 1900s.

Flexner report, after he had evaluated those 155 schools in the United States and Canada based on his conclusion and collected data, made a scholarly analysis on mediocre quality and profit motive of many medical schools, the inadequate curricula and facilities at number of schools, the nonscientific approach for preparation for the profession. However, some schools such as Harvard, Western Reserved, Mcgill Toronto and ohn Hopkins did received praise for excellent performance. Based on his observations Flexner made several recommendations. In the aftermath of his report, many schools were closed down and others had merged. Resources were allocated to those medical schools especially the ones that received the most favorable ratings from Flexner report and those who agreed to follow the model recommended by Flexner Report.

After the Flexner report, the number of schools was reduced in order to increase the quality of medical care in the two countries and other facilities were established. He had proposed that the number of schools to be reduced from 155 to 31. Medical schools only hire teaching staff with qualifications. Medical education became more regulated with requirement for high admission standards, long and intense

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