ADD AN EXTRA YEAR OF MED SCHOOL. Back in the days when penicillin was hot stuff, 4 years was enough to cover everything. A lot has changed since then, which is reflected with how much we have to learn. And obviously the material will only accumulate. Spread out the basic sciences over 3 years and we'll see changes.

On top of that, truly make it the independent study that it is: suggested curriculum, video presentations replacing lectures (we already listen to lecture mp3's while studying the power points), progress exams and case presentations replacing timed and graded exams.

And 3rd and 4th year? No more slave hours. No more running on 4 hours of sleep. And no more of the scut pig culture.

terrible idea. It would be one more push to import doctors from India, and spread nurse practioners/PA's as you dissuade that many more people from med school.

Are you crazy? None of these ideas are workable. First, the education requirements for med school in this country are prohibitive compared with others that produce respected doctors since many systems have high school graduates going directly into medical school for a six years of study. Secondly, there is only so much a human brain can instantly access, which is why lawyers need such long periods to prepare for cases - they don't try to keep everything in their minds all the time, they look it up. Doctors look things up too, more than before because it is easier with the internet in your hands all the time and also because things change more quickly. Keep in mind something a wise attending taught me -"Science knowledge increases exponentally and in 5 years half of what we believe to be true today will be disproved - the problem is, we don't know which half." So studying longer doesn't mean you learn more that will help your patients, it just means you are older when you get started using it all the time. And finally, making med school take longer is only going to discourage many really bright people who want a reasonable lifestyle with a reasonable income. They will choose business instead. This happens periodically, with med school and business school application numbers like a balance. I'm sure this year the med school apps are up.

I'm in my 5th year of medical school, and taking an extra year was a great decision. I think the time is best spent, however, with an extra year of clinical study, not pre-clinical.