Making Medical Education Better
The U.S. medical education system is a worldwide leader; through two innovative initiatives, the AMA is working to build on its strengths to improve physician education and patient care.
The AMA's Initiative to Transform Medical Education (ITME) is working to improve excellence in patient care by reforming the current medical education and training system. Currently, ITME stakeholders are examining the ways in which the learning environment for medical students and residents contributes to developing one's professional identity. In addition, ITME is prioritizing areas for further research and program development.
The AMA's Innovative Strategies for Transforming the Education of Physicians (ISTEP), launched in 2006, is a unique medical education research collaborative that brings together individuals and institutions from across the continuum of physician learning. By conducting rigorous research on how physicians learn, ISTEP investigators are developing the evidence base for decisions that will lead to needed reforms in physician education—a foundation that will translate into better care for patients. Currently, 27 medical schools are represented in this initiative.
