Medical Education, Pre- and Post-Pandemic Era: A Review Article

Abstract

A pandemic is the worldwide outbreak and spread of a disease. Although pandemics of influenza have occurred rarely, approximately once every few decades in more than three centuries, the outbreaks of H1N1 and H5N1 influenza, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and most recently, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have necessitated the institution of protective and preventive measures such as school closure and mandatory quarantine of infected people, as social distancing is considered to be the most effective preventative strategy until the development of a vaccine, treatment, or both. The current pandemic has also resulted in a transformation in medical education for both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. Clinical rotations for undergraduates have been suspended all over the world; inter-hospital residency rotations and combined teaching sessions have also been curtailed until further notice. During this most recent pandemic, a number of medical schools have immediately converted their whole clinical curriculum into online formats. Similarly, educational and clinical assessments have been converted into online assessments. However, as the pandemic eras tend to recur over time and epidemics will continue to break out, medical students and healthcare workers will remain susceptible to contagion. Hence, we need to adopt a new educational system that would be safe and sustainable in the long run.

Keywords: medical education; pandemic era; traditional learning; virtual learning.

Figure 1. Decision tree for utilizing different teaching methods during a pandemic or epidemic

Reproduced with permission from Lim E, Oh V, Koh D, Seet R: The Challenges of “Continuing Medical Education” in a Pandemic Era. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 2009; 38(8):724-726. Figure 1: Decision tree for utilizing different teaching methods during a pandemic or epidemic; p.725 PPE: personal protective equipment

Figure 2. Comparison between traditional and virtual learning