Failing in medical school might bring up images of a disappointed parent or a depressed student but one expert argues that you need to learn to fail in medical school before you make mistakes in the real world. The ability to accept failures and learn from them is a fundamental part of education for every other profession.
However, when paired with the seriousness of life or death situations, failures are simply seen as failures and students are swiftly punished for their mistakes in an attempt to hammer them out before graduation. See what experts have to say about the importance of mistakes in medical school for 2017.
Mistakes in Medical School Today
Making an error as a doctor could end in life-altering or even life-ending results. From this, medical institutions have developed a system of finger-pointing and blame-shifting to avoid lawsuits or general scorn.
One way medical schools have begun to counteract this unhealthy system of learning is to implement “error-relief” systems, this typically supports honesty and transparency among doctors and hospital associates in the future.
By changing the culture and policies of medical schools early on, students can become better, more honest doctors.
Some schools have introduced “standardized patients.” These patients play roles that go along with doctor’s making mistakes. This will typically involve breaking bad news.
This serves to test their personal skills and show them that it’s not always as bad as what they imagine in their mind. This fear of failure can be staggering to the learning process and hurt students in the long run.
Actively trying to improve the philosophy of the medical school is the direction that most schools seem to be going for in 2017.
Take a look at the policies and core philosophies of the schools you apply for and see what they have to say about making mistakes and learning from them.