Davis Margery H, Karunathilake Indika, Harden Ronald M
Centre for Medical Education, University of Dundee, Dundee DD2 1LR, Scotland, UK.
Med Teach. 2005 Dec;27(8):665-75. doi: 10.1080/01421590500398788.
A department of medical education is becoming an essential requirement for a medical school. This publication is intended for those wishing to establish or develop a medical education department. It may also prove useful to teachers in medicine by providing information on how such a department can support their activities. This will vary with the local context but the principles are generalizable. Medical education departments are established in response to increased public expectations relating to healthcare, societal trends towards increased accountability, educational developments, increased interest in what to teach and how to educate doctors and the need to train more doctors. The functions of a department of medical education include research, teaching, service provision and career development of the staff. The scope of its activities includes undergraduate and postgraduate education, continuing professional development and continuing medical education. These activities may be extended to other healthcare professions. Flexibility is the key to staffing a department of medical education. Various contractual arrangements, affiliations and support from non-affiliated personnel are needed to provide a multi-professional team with a range of expertise. The precise structure of the department will depend on the individual institution. The name of the department may suggest its position within the university structure. The director provides academic leadership for the department and his/her responsibilities include promotion of staff collaboration, fostering career development of the staff and establishing local, regional and international links. Financial support may come from external funding agencies, government or university sources. Some departments of medical education are financially self-supporting. The department should be closely integrated with the medical school. Support for the department from the dean is an essential factor for sustainability. Several case studies of medical education departments throughout the world are included as examples of the different roles and functions of a department of medical education.
医学教育部门正成为医学院校的一项基本要求。本出版物面向那些希望建立或发展医学教育部门的人士。它或许还能为医学教师提供有用信息，说明这样一个部门如何支持他们的工作。这会因当地情况而异，但原则具有普遍性。设立医学教育部门是为了回应公众对医疗保健期望的提高、社会对问责制增强的趋势、教育发展、对教什么以及如何培养医生的兴趣增加，以及培养更多医生的需求。医学教育部门的职能包括研究、教学、服务提供以及员工的职业发展。其活动范围包括本科和研究生教育、持续专业发展以及继续医学教育。这些活动可能会扩展到其他医疗保健专业。灵活性是医学教育部门人员配备的关键。需要各种合同安排、附属关系以及非附属人员的支持，以组建一个具备一系列专业知识的多专业团队。该部门的确切结构将取决于各个机构。部门的名称可能表明其在大学结构中的位置。主任为该部门提供学术领导，其职责包括促进员工协作、推动员工的职业发展以及建立本地、区域和国际联系。资金支持可能来自外部资助机构、政府或大学来源。一些医学教育部门在财务上能够自给自足。该部门应与医学院紧密整合。院长对该部门的支持是其可持续发展的一个关键因素。文中包含了世界各地医学教育部门的几个案例研究，作为医学教育部门不同角色和职能的示例。
