Content in context: medical education and society's needs.

Many reports have emphasized the need to reform medical education to bring it into harmony with society's needs and expectations. Although much effort has been expended over several decades, many believe that reform initiatives have not successfully modified physicians' behaviors and attitudes. More recently, two major projects--Educating Future Physicians for Ontario and the Medical School Objectives Project--have identified physician roles and attributes necessary to meet societal needs. These efforts have provided a substantial framework upon which the content and conduct of a more relevant kind of medical education can be built. In order to implement real change, however, medical schools must (1) take the long view, making reform part of the entire continuum of medical education; (2) ensure that faculty physicians teach by example; (3) change student assessments to reflect new educational objectives; and (4) reallocate resources to support a changed curriculum.