Organic Chemistry and the Questionable Ways We Select and Train Physicians

On Becoming a Healer

In October, the New York Times published the first of several articles about an eminent professor at NYU who was dismissed after his students complained that his organic chemistry class, essential to medical school admission, was too hard. Thousands of comments were unsympathetic saying, essentially, that students who couldn't hack it shouldn't be doctors. But is that really true? Saul and Stefan debate not only whether organic chemistry should be a gateway into medicine, but what else is questionable in how we train physicians -- and why it matters. Are medical students spending massive amounts of time jumping through hoops when they could be acquiring vital skills? What are some indicators that medical education needs substantial redesign?