Medical education in the 1990s--and beyond: a view from the United States.

American medical education is under continued study, and reforms are being suggested to improve it. The current paper reviews the standard U.S. medical school curriculum and discusses suggestions for change. Medical education must become more student- and learning-oriented, must place more emphasis on primary care, and must use new settings for education. The paper also examines the reasons that medical schools fail in their education mission.