ABSTRACT
Teaching is too complex to be explained by a single model. Medical education, like medicine itself, embraces several, sometimes opposing, theories and metaphors. In becoming physicians, students must develop abilities in three areas: gaining medical knowledge and technical competence in dealing with disease, “becoming” a professional, and learning to heal. Students are immersed in the biological sciences and quickly learn the value system of the medical establishment — the primary task of medicine is the recognition and treatment of disease. Scant attention is paid to healing in medical education, except for wound healing. Developmental theory provides a way of understanding learning, not simply as the accumulation of knowledge but as a transformational experience. Mentoring is an important, perhaps essential, component of medical education. Mentors guide students along the journeys of their lives. They are trusted because they have already made the journey.
