title: A vision of quality in medical education.
abstract: This paper begins with historical and other reflections on the nature and importance of quality in medical education. It then identifies and discusses missions of a medical school--which include teaching, research, medical service, continuing education, and social advocacy--and notes that these elements should be complementary and indeed synergistic. Components of quality, both of a medical graduate and of a medical school, are then considered. After discussing the use of examinations to assess quality of graduates, the paper concludes by calling for a total quality approach to medical education, with due attention to input, process, and output.
authors.affiliation: Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suwanwela
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010819:Physician's Role; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012106:Research; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013663:Teaching