Can Teachers Be Like Doctors?

The teaching profession is in the early stages of a massive overhaul, and many advocates are looking to the medical profession for a model of how to improve the quality and respect for teachers.

It’s been just over a century since the Flexner Report revolutionized and dramatically improved the training of doctors. Here is a Wikipedia summary of its legacy:

• A physician receives at least six, and preferably eight, years of post-secondary formal instruction, nearly always in a university setting;
• Medical training adheres closely to the scientific method and is thoroughly grounded in human physiology and biochemistry. Medical research adheres fully to the protocols of scientific research;
• Average physician quality has increased significantly;
• No medical school can be created without the permission of the state government. Likewise, the size of existing medical schools is subject to state regulation;
• Each state branch of the American Medical Association has oversight over the conventional medical schools located within the state;
• Medicine in the USA and Canada becomes a highly paid and well-respected profession.

Teaching could certainly use such an upgrade. Indeed, in the past two years the teaching profession has been handed several would-be Flexner Reports. Will any of them break through? Over my next several posts I will examine the recommendations and feasibility of three aspiring Flexners:

• From the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE): Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for Improved Student     Learning
• From NEA: Transforming Teaching: Connecting Professional Responsibility with Student Learning
• From the U.S. Department of Education: The RESPECT Project: Envisioning a Teaching Profession for the 21st Century

I’ll also examine key similarities and differences between the medical and teaching professions, including ideas about how one can learn from the others.

Do you think modern medicine provides a useful model for revamping the teaching profession? Comments are most welcome.

Comments

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[Kakraeger]

I think that teaching should become more like practicing medicine. Several reasons come to mind.
1. It is hard to get into medical school. This level of challenge weeds out those who don't really want to be doctors. If it were harder to get into Teacher Ed programs, many less than enthusiastic candidates would be eliminated.
2. The course work in medical school is very challenging guaranteeing that most of the students who make it are bright enough to do to well in the next phase of education.
3. Doctors must become interns before they can practice medicine. Teachers should do the same. Nobody would want a doctor who just graduated from medical school because he/she would be unprepared to deal with the real world challenges of practicing medicine. The same can be said for teachers. The best way to learn is through a long apprenticeship with increasing levels of independence and responsibility as time goes on.
4. When interns and residents are learning to become doctors, they observe and are observed by other doctors. Cases and practices are discussed, so the preservice doctors can learn best practices. Teachers could benefit tremendously from this technique, even after becoming professional teachers.
Looks like that's quite a few reasons. Hmm...maybe we're on to something here!

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Got my eye on your blog now.thanks so much for sharing!

[Cynthia]

I do think it should be more difficult to get into teaching schools, like medical schools, requiring more than GPA and state exams. Doctors work side by side supporting a mentoring and learning environment while teachers typically are in their rooms by themselves. Therefore, I am not sure how the medical field model in teaching would work after college.

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