Driving forces of biomedical science education and research in state-of-the arts Academic Medical Centres: the United States as example

Abstract

Background: Basic science departments in academic medical centres are influenced by changes that are commonly directed at medical education and financial gain. Some of such changes may have been detrimental to or may have enhanced basic science education. They may have determined basic science research focus or basic science research methods. However, there is lack of research on the educational process in the basic sciences including training of PhD's while there is ample research on medical education pertaining to training of medical doctors. Methods: The author here identifies, from university websites and available literature, some forces that have driven teaching and research focus and methods in state of-the-arts academic medical centres in recent times with a view of seeing through their possible influences on basic science education and research, using the United States of America as an example. Results: The "forces" are: Changes in medical schools; Medical educational philosophies: problem based learning, evidence based medicine, cyberlearning and self-directed learning; Shifting impressions of the value of basic sciences in medical schools; Research trends in Basic Sciences: role of antivivisectionists, alternative experimentations, explosion of molecular and cell biology; Technological advancements; Commercialization of research; and Funding agencies. Conclusion: The author encourages African leaders in academia to pay attention to such forces as the leadership seeks to raise African Universities as centres of knowledge that have a major role in acquiring, preserving, imparting, and utilizing knowledge