Learning objective

A group from Pluto has set off to define "Learning Objectives" for our students.

Don't be mistaken. This is not a one-line motto, but 500-page (if not more) arm-breaking Bible, listing things - in all "dimensions" - that the faculty expect a student to master, down to the detail of each month (or each week).

I fainted with the idea. (Eye-witness told my doctor that I had a seizure.) Didn't we give up something called "syllabus" not so long ago ?

"This is different," so was I told by this group from Pluto. Yes. It is more comprehensive. It is so comprehensive that an ordinary student would take five years to read the objective per se.

Why can't we just adopt, say, the table of content of Harrison (or Kumar & Clark if you like) as the syllabus - sorry, "Learning Objectives" - of internal medicine ? Are we implying that Harrison deliberately omits important areas on the practice of internal medicine ? (Even if it does, one can add a short appendix to fix it up.)

No, we should not do that. The learning objective - I get it right at last - should be one simple sentence: to learn the practice and relevant scientific background of anything and everything that is related to clinical medicine, with the target of being able to be safe junior medical officer.

"But what are the things that is related to the practice ?" Go to the ward and clinic and find out yourself !

"But the GMC people are doing it in Britian !"

Good lord. We are not on the Titanic. You jump - I do not have to follow.