BMJ  2007;335:414-415 (1 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.39317.545613.80

Letters

Medical education research

Reasons to be cheerful

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The article by Todres et al raises important questions about the funding challenges of educational research in medicine.1 They are correct to point out these challenges, but I fear that they continue to add to them by their particular reference to randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This is perhaps a worrying insight into the continuing positivistic "lens" of the profession within a normative paradigm.2 It is well acknowledged that RCTs are rarely if ever relevant in educational research.3 It is this continuing and unnecessary conflict of paradigms that not only affects funding but also ethical approval.4

Several new academic clinical fellowships and lectureships in medical education have been awarded. These centrally funded positions support academic careers at doctoral level and beyond within the new UK training framework. These are exciting opportunities to develop academic educators for the future. The positions have a similar funding to the clinician scientist posts within the . . . [Full text of this article]

Julian Archer, clinical lecturer in medical education

Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, C313 Portland Square, Plymouth PL4 8AA

julian.archer@pms.ac.uk


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Relevant Article

Medical education research remains the poor relation
Mathew Todres, Anne Stephenson, and Roger Jones
BMJ 2007 335: 333-335. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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