Journal Articles
Ludmerer, K. M. (2011). Abraham Flexner and Medical Education. Perspectives In Biology And Medicine, (1), 8.
The Flexner Report had its roots in the recognition in the mid-19th century that medical knowledge is not something fixed but something that grows and evolves. This new view of medical knowledge led to a recasting of the goal of medical education as that of instilling the proper techniques of acquiring and evaluating information rather than merely inculcating facts through rote memorization. Abraham Flexner, a brilliant educator, had the background to understand and popularize the meaning of this new view of education, and he took the unprecedented step of relating the developments in medical education to the ideas of John Dewey and the progressive education movement.
King, D. J. (1978). THE PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAINING OF ABRAHAM FLEXNER, THE REFORMER OF MEDICAL EDUCATION. Journal Of Psychology, 100(1), 131.
The great reformer of American medical education was Abraham Flexner. His basic emphasis was to insist that medical education should be solidly based on science.
Ellis, H. (2009). Abraham Flexner (1867-1959): pioneer of modern medical education. British Journal Of Hospital Medicine (London, England: 2005), 70(5), 287.
Halperin, E., Perman, J., & Wilson, E. (n.d). Abraham Flexner of Kentucky, His Report, Medical Education in the United States and Canada, and the Historical Questions Raised by the Report. Academic Medicine, 85(2), 203-210.
One hundred years ago, the time was right and the need was critical for medical education reform. Medical education had become a commercial enterprise with proprietary schools of variable quality, lectures delivered in crowded classrooms, and often no laboratory instruction or patient contact. Progress in science, technology, and the quality of medical care, along with political will and philanthropic support, contributed to the circumstances under which Abraham Flexner produced his report.
Bender, W. (1993). Abraham Flexner–a crusader against medical maleducation. Journal Of Cancer Education, 8(3), 183-189.
The Flexner Report, one of the most cited publications in medical education, describes the site-visits to 163 medical schools in 40 American states, in terms of admission requirements, number of students, number of faculty, etcetera. The Flexner Reports (there are three!) are still worth reading. For instance, Flexner holds a plea for problem orientation.