ON MARCH 1 and 2, 1984, the faculty of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, celebrated its sesquicentennial by holding a conference, with nine distinguished speakers, entitled Medical Education for the 21st Century.1 It occurred to us, the major architects of this symposium, that it might be useful to record a consolidated and somewhat impressionistic view of what we learned. This article represents our reflections, as stimulated by both formal talks and informal discussions, during this excellent conference.
THE WORLD OF MEDICINE AS IT MOVES THROUGH TIME
Much discussion at the conference focused on the global concept of the "world of medicine": the world in which medical education takes place. No totally satisfactory term can be found for this large and complex "world of medicine." It includes such components as biomedical science; medical practice; the entire health care delivery system; medical economics; health professions education; the public's perceptions