Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Education: Insights and Recommendations

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Disruptions in medical education are inevitable as healthcare systems across the world are set to be further stretched with the increasing burden of COVID-19 pandemic. Given the risks of nosocomial infection and other unique, similar challenges, there is difficulty in adapting required changes in medical education, particularly for the medical students and training junior doctors. This paper discusses the different elements affecting and the widespread impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical education. It concludes with strategies to minimize the impact of these factors and a call to action for the medical education system to adapt so it can meet the needs of healthcare learners during this pandemic and beyond. These include online learning, telemedicine and simulations that may help in both teaching/learning and assessment in basic and clinical education. The adaptation of these approaches, however, should be based on the intended learning outcomes and availability of resources. Teaching/learning strategies to develop reasoning skill and increasing the focus on formative assessments appears to be a fundamental requirement in the current context. The programme should adopt flexibility and collaboration as the guiding principles to mitigate the ill-effects of the pandemic on medical education. KEYWORDS: COVID-19, Pandemic, Medical education, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Continuing, Impact