Medical Teacher
ISSN: 0142-159X (Print) 1466-187X (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/imte20
The 3Rs: A student perspective Julian Cumberworth BSc (Hons) & Dr Alex Cumberworth BMBS BSc (Hons) To cite this article: Julian Cumberworth BSc (Hons) & Dr Alex Cumberworth BMBS BSc (Hons) (2015) The 3Rs: A student perspective, Medical Teacher, 37:6, 599-599 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2015.1016486
Published online: 23 Feb 2015.
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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=imte20 Download by: [117.173.142.223]
Date: 05 November 2015, At: 12:57
2015, 37: 599–603
Letters to the Editor
The 3Rs: A student perspective
Downloaded by [117.173.142.223] at 12:57 05 November 2015
Dear Sir Eley and Stallman (2014) present a cohesive and compelling argument for nurturing responsibility, resilience and resolve in medical students. Whilst few would argue that these qualities are not to be valued in the doctors of tomorrow, we would contend that the piece presents an overly simplistic means of developing them. The authors assert that the fee-paying model of medical education fosters a sense of entitlement in students, implying that paying tuition fees gives some guarantee of success regardless of academic effort. We would argue that academic endeavour and paying fees are surely not mutually exclusive. Few medical students in the UK would consider a medical degree to be something one simply buys; after all success that can be bought and sold is hollow. The notion that fee payments are detrimental to development of the 3Rs ignores the fact that, prior to medical school, most students have already tasted the great rewards and bitter disappointments of academic endeavour – and resulting successes and failures. These experiences can be character building and the notion that that on arrival at medical school students abandon this sense of academic drive is unconvincing. Clearly financial considerations and the necessity of parttime employment for self-funding students may regrettably take precedence over course-related activities outside teaching hours. However, there is nothing to suggest that this additional commitment is not actually testament to an increased sense of personal responsibility, which is both fulfilling and could potentially be translated to an individual’s budding medical career. Such independence represents a devolution of educational decision-making to the student, which is surely in itself empowering and conducive to development of the 3Rs. Finally, if students are considered consumers, they may be instrumental in bringing shortcomings to the attention of their institutions, increasing accountability and driving up standards. Perhaps if students had less of a financial stake in their education they would display more apathy, irrespective of any sense of entitlement. Julian Cumberworth BSc (Hons), Brighton and Sussex Medical School Office, Audrey Emerton Building, Eastern
ISSN 0142-159X print/ISSN 1466-187X online/15/060599–2 ß 2015 Informa UK Ltd. DOI: 10.3109/0142159X.2015.1016486
Road, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK. E-mail: j.cumberworth1@uni. bsms.ac.uk Dr Alex Cumberworth BMBS BSc (Hons), Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas’ Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.
Reference Eley DS, Stallman H. 2014. Where does medical education stand in nurturing the 3Rs in medical students: Responsibility, resilience and resolve? Med Teach 36:835–837.
Response to ‘The 3Rs: A student perspective’
Dear Sir We appreciate the interest in our paper (Eley & Stallman 2014) and the insightful observations by Julian and Alex. Their comments clearly portray an understanding of the ethos of education and the requisite characteristics that enable success in medicine. We acknowledge the validity of their argument that ‘academic endeavour and paying fees are surely not mutually exclusive’. However we would counter the implication that fee-paying is the only factor involved in ensuring the development and maintenance of the 3Rs. Moreover, it was not the intention to present a simplistic overview of what is an extremely complex set of circumstances – which are most certainly different for every student. The statement made was a generic point regarding a noted cultural shift towards materialism and status in society and how it may be driving a different model of education. It is not surprising that the authors quite rightly realize that this is a phenomenon which is not embraced by the majority of students. In particular medical students, who by the time they reach medical school, understand very well that it is commitment and hard work that enables success.
599
ISSN: 0142-159X (Print) 1466-187X (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/imte20
The 3Rs: A student perspective Julian Cumberworth BSc (Hons) & Dr Alex Cumberworth BMBS BSc (Hons) To cite this article: Julian Cumberworth BSc (Hons) & Dr Alex Cumberworth BMBS BSc (Hons) (2015) The 3Rs: A student perspective, Medical Teacher, 37:6, 599-599 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2015.1016486
Published online: 23 Feb 2015.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 185
View related articles
View Crossmark data
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=imte20 Download by: [117.173.142.223]
Date: 05 November 2015, At: 12:57
2015, 37: 599–603
Letters to the Editor
The 3Rs: A student perspective
Downloaded by [117.173.142.223] at 12:57 05 November 2015
Dear Sir Eley and Stallman (2014) present a cohesive and compelling argument for nurturing responsibility, resilience and resolve in medical students. Whilst few would argue that these qualities are not to be valued in the doctors of tomorrow, we would contend that the piece presents an overly simplistic means of developing them. The authors assert that the fee-paying model of medical education fosters a sense of entitlement in students, implying that paying tuition fees gives some guarantee of success regardless of academic effort. We would argue that academic endeavour and paying fees are surely not mutually exclusive. Few medical students in the UK would consider a medical degree to be something one simply buys; after all success that can be bought and sold is hollow. The notion that fee payments are detrimental to development of the 3Rs ignores the fact that, prior to medical school, most students have already tasted the great rewards and bitter disappointments of academic endeavour – and resulting successes and failures. These experiences can be character building and the notion that that on arrival at medical school students abandon this sense of academic drive is unconvincing. Clearly financial considerations and the necessity of parttime employment for self-funding students may regrettably take precedence over course-related activities outside teaching hours. However, there is nothing to suggest that this additional commitment is not actually testament to an increased sense of personal responsibility, which is both fulfilling and could potentially be translated to an individual’s budding medical career. Such independence represents a devolution of educational decision-making to the student, which is surely in itself empowering and conducive to development of the 3Rs. Finally, if students are considered consumers, they may be instrumental in bringing shortcomings to the attention of their institutions, increasing accountability and driving up standards. Perhaps if students had less of a financial stake in their education they would display more apathy, irrespective of any sense of entitlement. Julian Cumberworth BSc (Hons), Brighton and Sussex Medical School Office, Audrey Emerton Building, Eastern
ISSN 0142-159X print/ISSN 1466-187X online/15/060599–2 ß 2015 Informa UK Ltd. DOI: 10.3109/0142159X.2015.1016486
Road, Brighton BN2 5BE, UK. E-mail: j.cumberworth1@uni. bsms.ac.uk Dr Alex Cumberworth BMBS BSc (Hons), Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, St Thomas’ Hospital, London SE1 7EH, UK
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.
Reference Eley DS, Stallman H. 2014. Where does medical education stand in nurturing the 3Rs in medical students: Responsibility, resilience and resolve? Med Teach 36:835–837.
Response to ‘The 3Rs: A student perspective’
Dear Sir We appreciate the interest in our paper (Eley & Stallman 2014) and the insightful observations by Julian and Alex. Their comments clearly portray an understanding of the ethos of education and the requisite characteristics that enable success in medicine. We acknowledge the validity of their argument that ‘academic endeavour and paying fees are surely not mutually exclusive’. However we would counter the implication that fee-paying is the only factor involved in ensuring the development and maintenance of the 3Rs. Moreover, it was not the intention to present a simplistic overview of what is an extremely complex set of circumstances – which are most certainly different for every student. The statement made was a generic point regarding a noted cultural shift towards materialism and status in society and how it may be driving a different model of education. It is not surprising that the authors quite rightly realize that this is a phenomenon which is not embraced by the majority of students. In particular medical students, who by the time they reach medical school, understand very well that it is commitment and hard work that enables success.
599
