Editorial: Medical Education: How does it flourish as a Scientific Discipline?

We are living in an era in which “medical education” has widely been recognized as a branch of science, with its own underpinning principles and theories. it is no longer assumed that any physician or scientist would function as a successful teacher simply because they have content expertise in that given area. this notion has led to the proliferation of medical education within the academic societies and medical schools, to the extent that most prestigious universities offer courses in medical education from workshops to fellowship programs and even highereducation degrees. being a scientific discipline, it follows that the field of medical education needs research to flourish. as has been widely acknowledged in the practice of medicine and other health sciences, teaching and learning activities are also expected to be based on the evidence rather than anecdotal reports and personal opinions. these research activities are targeted to prove (or disprove) the common concepts and practices of the educators. new theories are also evolved and tested through studies of various designs.