Do the teaching hospitals of the University of Queensland really want a four-year medical course? A guarded yes.
OBJECTIVE: To gauge the measure of support among clinical teaching staff for the University of Queensland's proposals to introduce a four-year graduate entry integrated medical curriculum. SETTING: The three largest teaching hospitals of the University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 565 consultants and 493 junior medical staff regarding deficiencies of the present six-year course, deficiencies in present methods of selecting students, and possible solutions. RESULTS: 154 (68%) full-time consultants, 174 (51%) visiting consultants and 197 (40%) junior staff replied. Ninety per cent of the consultants and 60% of the junior staff were current teachers. Respondents strongly supported the need for major change, the integration of biomedical sciences into clinical teaching and the use of problem-based learning. Regarding selection, over 80% of respondents considered graduate entry to have no advantage over undergraduate entry, but there was strong support for an external examination including sciences. There was also strong support for broadening entry criteria to include common sense, motivation and empathy. Seventy-two per cent of consultants and 82% of juniors opposed the proposals in their present form. However, 52% of consultants (but only 23% of juniors) would support the concept of a four-year integrated course if the issue of selection criteria could be resolved. CONCLUSION: A majority of consultants support the concept of a four-year integrated curriculum which uses problem-based learning methods. They do not support the proposed selection criteria based upon graduate entry, but would support a predominantly science-based selection process, not necessarily restricted to graduate applicants, but incorporating broader personal characteristics than are used at the present time.