THE GROWTH OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL EDUCATION WAS REVIEWED AS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF RESEARCH IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION. SUCCESSIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN RESEARCH IN MEDICAL EDUCATION ARE DESCRIBED IN RELATION TO THE PATTERN OF ACCELERATING CHANGE THAT FOLLOWED WORLD WAR II. THE AUTHOR REPORTS THAT THE CHANGES IN CURRICULUM INTRODUCED IN SOME SCHOOLS AND THE RESEARCH PROGRAMS THAT WERE INITIATED TO EVALUATE THOSE PROGRAMS PROVIDED THE STIMULUS FOR OTHER CHANGE-PRODUCING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ANNUAL INSTITUTES ON TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATION SPONSORED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN MEDICAL COLLEGES AND THE DISSEMINATION OF THEIR REPORTS WHICH SURVEYED THE ENTIRE FIELD OF MEDICAL EDUCATION. RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTING AND STIMULATING RESEARCH IN MEDICAL EDUCATION LED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DIVISION OF EDUCATION. THE DIVISION'S PROGRAM OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTUAL MODELS FOR RESEARCH HAS INCLUDED THE STUDY OF INDEXES AND CORRELATES OF EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND THE CLARIFICATION OF CRITERIA OF PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE AS THE ULTIMATE CRITERIA OF MEDICAL EDUCATION. THE DIVISION OF OPERATIONAL STUDIES WAS ESTABLISHED TO COMPILE INFORMATION RELATED TO FACULTY AND TO THE FINANCING OF MEDICAL EDUCATION. SEPARATE SECTIONS OF THIS REVIEW OF LITERATURE PRESENT REPORTS ON STUDIES OF STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS, THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS, PERFORMANCE OF THE GRADUATE PHYSICIAN, GRADUATE AND CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION, AND NURSING AND DENTISTRY. IN ADDITION, AN OVERVIEW IS PRESENTED THAT SUMMARIZES THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, THE TRENDS IN RESEARCH STUDIES, AND A LIST OF QUESTIONS CONCERNING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION THAT ARE RELEVANT TO ALL AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION. (AL)