Medical education and intellectual disability: A survey of Australian medical schools

Abstract

A telephone questionnaire was administered to staff of Australian medical schools to determine the amount and nature of undergraduate teaching provided to students on the health care of people with an intellectual disability. Academic appointments in intellectual disability and the range of people involved in teaching were also recorded. Results indicate that medical schools differ widely in the amount of teaching offered and that this is influenced by the presence of academic appointments in intellectual disability. The strengths and weaknesses of curriculums are discussed and suggestions for maximising the quality of teaching are put forward. Concerns are also raised about intellectual disability being lost to more mainstream subjects, especially at a time when many medical schools are changing their curriculum to a problem based format.