Discussion

Abstract

May I quote from a report Trends in Medical Education, by the EEC Advisory Committee on Medical Training? It relates to something which you, Mr Chairman, said. The very first words after the introduction are: ‘We define basic medical training as the entire amount of theoretical and clinical education, leading to the knowledge which should be common to all doctors whatever their future orientation’. I think we should bear that in mind. It is dated 1978 and it was 2 years in preparation. That is why we stress that medical students should have some training in general practice before graduation. You could argue that it could easily be taught later, but we say that it is necessary to have some training in general practice in the curriculum, common to all, and then later the special training for general practitioners. If anyone had suggested this, even in 1975, he would have been laughed at.