Achieving Excellence in Medical Education by Richard B. Gunderman

Author:Richard B. Gunderman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer London, London

The greater pitfall in the pursuit of knowledge today is not recklessness but excessive caution. For example, the selection processes of many funding organizations are remarkably conservative, encouraging investigators to be predictable and safe to the point of seeking funding only for work, the outcome of which they already know. Such systems of funding often do a better job of keeping established investigators funded than promoting the daring pursuit of novel and adventurous lines of inquiry. Fortunately, this danger can be mitigated to some degree by systems of scientific reward that operate retrospectively, such as prizes.

One of the greatest human curses is to get precisely what we want. Consider Ovid’s parable of King Midas, who loves wealth so much that he wishes everything he touches would turn into gold. His wish granted, Midas soon realizes to his horror that the fulfillment of his wish represents a terrible curse. We should pray less that our wishes be granted than for the wisdom truly to understand what we aim to do, how we go about it, and how to appraise what we have done. Donald Schön and others have emphasized the importance of reflective practice, whereby we examine not only our results but the models by which we produce them.

This was the genius of Socrates. Instead of merely asking how something could be accomplished as effectively and efficiently as possible, Socrates inquires into the very mental models by which we act. In Plato’s dialogues, he is forever urging that we attempt to articulate and examine our objectives and the standards by which we assess success in promoting them. What is truly good, beautiful, and just? What is truly worth knowing? It does not matter how effectively we manage to keep the trains running on time if they are carrying the wrong people to the wrong places. Such a Socratic spirit is never at work when we focus all our energy on merely avoiding failure.

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