Research and education must be given equal weight

EDITOR—The discussion on the malaise affecting academic medicine is welcome and timely, but I am disappointed by the emphasis of the articles.1-3 Although Catto and Tomlinson both refer to teaching, the evident focus, as highlighted in the editorial,4 is on research. I accept the need for a sound training in research, but I am concerned by the implication that if an academic has a sound clinical and research training then teaching will follow naturally.

Teaching is a fundamental part of being a doctor,5 but, as with the other skills that are needed, it must be learnt. At the most basic level, anyone who is going to teach medical students must understand the basic concepts of setting objectives for the session and preparing a teaching plan. The medical education is, however, more than an agglomeration of individual teaching episodes. Curriculum planning, assessment of students, and programme evaluation are all professional activities with their own well developed scholarship. Many …