Contribution of learning theory to medical education

Innovations in undergraduate medical education are influencing the whole spectrum of medical education. So too is the growing literature on adult learning1-4 and the doctor as learner. 5 6 The works of Schön especially clarify the importance of the professionals' reflection on their everyday practice as a means of continuous change and learning. 7 8

Clinical problem solving has been identified as the core activity of how doctors learn and keep developing their competence. Creating an environment that provides practitioners with opportunities to explore and understand the personal theories underpinning their own practice is crucial for continuous professional development at all stages.9

Continuing medical education

Although a division of medical education into stages—undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education (CME)—seems sound from a regulatory and legal perspective, there are no fundamental differences in the way people learn across the continuum. The student often is told what to learn, but the qualified doctor is responsible for directing his or her own (lifelong) learning.10