1

Changes in Medical Education

Your Full Name (no credentials)

Capella University

BHA-FPX4002: History of the United States Health Care System

Instructor’s Name

Date
 2

Changes in Medical Education

Medical education has changed rapidly to adapt to the technical aspects that have
constantly been evolving so that medical learners can be given what they need to give quality
service to patients. This paper discusses the scope of changes in medical education from 1800 to
today, along with the impact of technologies on medical training. Then the cultural and mandated
changes would be discussed. The academic and apprenticeship models will be discussed and
their similarities and differences. Then the evolution of these models would be studied, and the
quality of patient care they have brought. Then the paper will be concluded by stating the
importance of learning medical history.
The Changing Scope of Medical Education
In the early 1800s, the nursing school began in America; there were only four foreign

doctors at the time: the University of Philadelphia, which was founded in 1765, followed by

King's College in 1967, Harvard in 1782, and Exeter, which was founded in 1797 before the year

1800. Following the year 1800, history indicates between the years 1810 and 1876, seventy-three

local schools were established, with the training offered during this period being uncontrolled. In

1876, the American Medical Group was established, and it established standards to oversee the

medical curriculum (Wright, 2015). Those who wished to practice medicine had to enroll in

medical school. New legislation was introduced that required all people to study and receive a

four-year degree and complete refresher courses in the medical area when they qualified to be a

professional and were permitted to practice medicine. Medical schools were supplementary to

the internship system at the time. Still, as the schools developed and delivered systematic

training, the journeyman system was phased out and replaced with a structured method, which

became the only mode of clinical school. The medical course was just eight months long in the

mid-nineteenth century, and the curriculum consisted of seven courses: medicine, human

physiology, pharmaceuticals, medical legislation, biochemistry, theory, and practice. The

revolutionary movement thought they would eradicate the medical institutions, physicians, and

hospitals. Still, quite the opposite happened, and it gave rise to a new era of autopsies and
 3

observing the experimentations (Morton, 2014). Poorly trained doctors used to open their

schools with improper training facilities. Still, this trend changed later on, and even women had

an opportunity to attend the medical hospitals that were not allowed previously.

In the early twentieth century, the nursing school faced a problem: the obligation to

satisfy a specific medical specialization, such as surgeries or pediatrics, or to pursue a career in

academic research in healthcare. The term "residency," which refers to multiple years of

experience in a specific hospital setting assessed by the internship program, was used. The

contemporary residency system was first established in America in 1889, with the inauguration

of John Hopkins University (Morton, 2014). This was the instructional experience for the older

students in internal medicine. During World War I, the Hopkins residence system extended to

other colleges. Around the 1930s, resident training had become the only opportunity for doctors

to specialize. This took the place of some of the more ad hoc approaches to specializations

previously adopted.

Apprenticeship Model vs. Academic Model

Description and Comparison of Both Models

Previously, the education system had taken medical experience, implemented for a three-

year term. Medical students studied medicine under the supervision of a general surgeon who

always allowed the apprentice to participate in his clinical work in exchange for a fee and to help

with other non-medical tasks. Because there was no established or formal process for trying

different physicians once they completed their apprenticeships, surgeons offered to train other

practitioners on a trainee basis (Jones, 2015). There were no rules in place at all. This continued

until the mid-eighteenth century, when hospitals were established. Following the end of their

apprenticeship, the physicians were granted a credential.

 4

Analysis of Evolution and Impact

The academic approach was created to have physicians who could problem-solve and
analyze critically and study and self-evaluate material. This was the finest aspect of having a
system of education that encouraged identity and practical learning through lab work and clinical
testing, making learners more engaged in their studies than previously. 
Importance of Understanding History of Medicine
Because medicine and surgery are advancing rapidly, it's important to learn from great

accomplishments and disappointments. Once they grasp the past, they will be able to produce

high-quality professionals in the medical area in the future. They currently have information due

to history, which has also shown us why we undertake study and how important it is. History has

also offered us valuable lessons about how society interacts with healthcare and what might go

wrong in the medical industry. People and early organizations who contributed to the creation

and enhancement of medical education are remembered in history (Rothman, 2017). One can't

reform or enhance the healthcare system without first understanding its origins and background.

Conclusion

Nursing school has come a long way from its inception in the 1800s. History has aided in

the advancement and knowledge of medicine and the development of improved medical policy

for society. The medical sector will always progress, and all of the past errors and

accomplishments have been used to better medical research. This sector will continue to progress

in the future, as information is fast evolving, and health care systems must adapt to the changing

world.

References

Wright, D., Ispas, C. A., Poon, L. C., & Nicolaides, K. H. (2015). Mean arterial pressure in the

three trimesters of pregnancy: maternal characteristics and medical history effects.

Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 45(6), 698-706.

 5

Linet, M. S., Vajdic, C. M., Morton, L. M., De Roos, A. J., Skibola, C. F., Boffetta, P., ... &

Chiu, B. C. (2014). Medical history, lifestyle, family history, and occupational risk

factors for follicular lymphoma: the InterLymph Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Subtypes

Project. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Monographs, 2014(48), 26-40.

Jones, D. S., Greene, J. A., Duffin, J., & Harley Warner, J. (2015). Making a case for history in

medical education. Journal of the history of medicine and allied sciences, 70(4), 623-652.

Rothman, D. J. (2017). Strangers at the bedside: A history of how law and bioethics transformed

medical decision making. Routledge.