Michael Modell: GP, researcher, and teacher who pioneered medical education in primary care in face of academic scepticism

Abstract

When Michael Modell was at University College London (UCL) in the 1950s, the time that students spent in the community was generally limited to a half day when they were bussed between a general practice, a delousing centre, and the public baths at St Pancras. Modell, the son of a GP, was unusual in that he chose to spend two weeks in a practice in Kentish Town, north London, one of whose partners was John Horder. Horder, often called the founding father of modern general practice, had a huge influence on Modell. What Modell observed in Horder were “high quality clinical skills, an open approach to the patient, and involvement of the student in the consultation.” Modell joined Horder’s practice on completing his training and was a conscientious and risk averse GP. He would only refer a patient, particularly a child, to hospital if it was absolutely necessary. If he had made a house call to a child with a rash or fever earlier in the day he would often come up with a spurious excuse to return to check up on them later. His interest in paediatrics led him to write a book on child health in the community. He would even visit his young patients in hospital, where he made an impression on house officer Bernadette McLoughlin. These visits led to a closer working collaboration between Modell’s practice …