Adapting to the impact of COVID-19: Sharing stories, sharing practice

Abstract

Health Professions’ Educators (HPEs) and their learners have to adapt their educational provision to rapidly changing and uncertain circumstances linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reports on an AMEE-hosted webinar: Adapting to the impact of COVID-19: Sharing stories, sharing practice. Attended by over 500 colleagues from five continents, this webinar focused on the impact of the virus across the continuum of education and training. Short formal presentations on teaching and learning, assessment, selection and postgraduate training generated wide-ranging questions via the Chatbox. A thematic analysis of the Chatbox thread indicated the most pressing concerns and challenges educators were experiencing in having to adapt programmes and learning across the continuum of medical education and training. The main areas of concern were: campus-based teaching and learning; clinical teaching; selection and assessment, and educator needs. While there is clearly no one simple solution to the unprecedented issues medical education and training face currently, there were two over-arching messages. First, this is a time for colleagues across the globe to help and support each other. Second, many local responses and innovations could have the potential to change the shape of medical education and training in the future.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• pandemic
• teaching and learning
• workplace learning
• selection
• assessment
• technology
• resilience
• innovation
• change

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Cleland

Jennifer Cleland, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, D Clinical Psychology, FRCP (Edin), FAoME, is Professor of Medical Education Research, Assistant Dean for Assessment and Director of the Medical Education Research and Scholarship Unit, LKC Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore. She publishes extensively in the field of medical education.

Judy McKimm

Judy McKimm, MBA, MA(Ed), BA(Hons) PGDip (HSW), CertEd, SFHEA, FAMEE, FAoME, is Professor of Medical Education, Director of Strategic Educational Development, and Programme Director MSc Leadership for the Health Professions, Swansea University Medical School, Wales. She runs faculty development programmes internationally and publishes on leadership and medical education.

Richard Fuller

Richard Fuller, MA, MBChB, FRCP, is a Consultant Geriatrician/Stroke Physician, Professor of Medical Education and Deputy Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Liverpool. His current research focuses on the application of intelligent assessment design, assessor behaviours, technology enhanced assessment and sequential testing methodologies.

David Taylor

David Taylor, MA, Med, PhD, EdD, is Professor of Medical Education and Physiology and Programme Director of the Masters of Health Professions Education, Gulf Medical University, United Arab Emirates. He has extensive experience of designing and delivering open learning courses, mainly at Master’s and Doctoral level.

Janusz Janczukowicz

Janusz Janczukowicz, MD, PhD, MMEd, is Professor of Medical Education, Vice Dean for Development of Education and Head of Centre for Medical Education at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland. His professional interests include medical and academic professionalism, intercultural competence, and using the humanities in health professions education.

Trevor Gibbs

Trevor Gibbs, ZMD, DA, MmedSC, FRCGP, SFHEA, FAcadMED, FAMEE, is President, Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and Professor of Medical Education & Primary Care, Sun Yat-sen University, China. He runs the AMEE International Networking Centres in China, Russia and Georgia and delivers faculty development programmes internationally.