Adapting medical education during crisis: Student–Faculty partnerships as an enabler of success

Abstract

Restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic have required medical educators to reimagine almost every aspect of undergraduate medical training, including curriculum delivery and assessments in a short timeline. In this personal view article, executive members of the University of Toronto medical student government and Faculty leads of pre-clerkship and clerkship education highlight five practical ways in which a student–Faculty partnership enabled the rapid and smooth adaptation of curricula during the COVID-19 pandemic. These included involving students as partners in decision making to contribute learner perspectives early, agile and collaborative meeting structures, frequent and consistent communication with the student body, providing learners with Faculty perspectives from the frontlines, and striking a balance in the level of feedback collected from students. These strategies may be of utility to medical administrators, educators, and student leaders in future crises affecting medical learners.

Keywords:

• General
• planning
• change
• undergraduate

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

Nishila Mehta

Nishila Mehta, BA, is a third-year medical student and an MSc student in Systems Leadership and Innovation at the University of Toronto, and 2019–2020 President of the University of Toronto Medical Society, Toronto, Canada.

Christopher End

Christopher End, BSc, is a third-year medical student at the University of Toronto and the class president for the University of Toronto, MD Class of 2022, Toronto, Canada.

Jason C. S. Kwan

Jason C. S. Kwan, BSc, is a third-year medical student at the University of Toronto and Vice-President Education of the University of Toronto Medical Society, Toronto, Canada.

Stacey Bernstein

Stacey Bernstein, MD, FRCPC, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children and Clerkship Director, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Marcus Law

Marcus Law, MD, MBA, Med, CCFP, is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine, and Director of Foundations, MD program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.