title: Professional competence in medicine.
abstract: Professional competence in medicine is under the microscope following a year of government and media attention directed at the performance of doctors and outcomes for patients. The ability of the profession to self-regulate has been questioned and the roles of the state, the universities, the Royal colleges and the postgraduate deans are shifting. This paper provides a context for considering these important changes.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Informatics and Medical Education, Royal Free and UCL Medical School.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Southgate
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018024:Peer Review, Health Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011639:Public Opinion; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards