Medical education: leadership and adaptation in a changing world.

Health care reform has remarkably accelerated in recent years and is now being driven by economic considerations more than by any others. There have been great changes in medical effectiveness, practice and, in consequence, medical education. These trends will continue and accelerate even more if comprehensive health care reform is achieved. Health care is highly valued by our society and medical education is an integral and essential part of health care. The challenge for health professions educators is to lead constructive change and to adapt to changes imposed by systemic reform to assure that the quality of our graduates enables them to best serve society.