Previous Themes

This themed issue of MedEdPublish was run in conjuntion with the International Clinical Skills Conference (ICSC) held in Prato, Italy, in May 2019 (http://internationalclinicalskillsconference.com/) and also the International Clinical Skills Foundation (Inc.). 

Some of the key issues discussed included non-medical expert roles; clinical skills; CanMEDS intrinsic roles; competency-based medical education, patient centeredness and empathy.

Internationally, selection into medicine continues to be highly competitive and is considered ‘high stakes’ by a multitude of different stakeholders. Practically, selection can be highly resource intensive, so what are the most effective and efficient approaches to designing robust selection methods and systems? This special issue provided a platform to present the latest research, case studies and commentaries on current and future issues in selection and recruitment in medical education.

Medical humanities is an interdisciplinary field concerned with bringing the humanities back into medical practice and education and aims to improve our understanding of the total human condition in relation to health and illness and medicine and medical care. We firmly believe that it is presently one of the most important topics in medicine and medical education today.  This themed issue looked to bring together authors from as wide a scope as possible to reflect and share their experiences of the humanities in medical education.

Ensuring that educators have, and continue to develop, the capabilities required to plan, facilitate and assess the learning of health professional students, trainees and practitioners is an important challenge in a changing world. This special issue of MedEdPublish focused on this area, variously known as faculty development, academic staff development or professional development across the world. Following on from the fourth International Conference on Faculty Development in the Health Professions in Helsinki in 2017, and in association with the formation of the AMEE Faculty Development Committee, authors were invited to share their research in, and experience of, supporting and developing health professional educators.

To move teaching and learning about diversity issues in medicine and medical education forward, it is important to share our knowledge, experiences, and struggles. As teachers and as researchers in medical education on issues such as gender in medicine, diversity and equality in the student population, or cultural competence in future doctors, we are dedicated to a quest for better health care and better medical education for all. This themed issue allowed readers to join us on our journey by sharing their knowledge and experiences.

Medical education journals feature much discussion relating to educational theory, teaching and assessment strategies, but less consideration regarding individual’s motivations and experiences of accessing medical education. How and why did you become a doctor? Does the motivation to become a doctor vary across generations, genders, countries, and cultures? As clinicians or non-clinicians, what led to developing a passion for understanding and contributing to health professional training?

Access to medical education has been a source of continuing debate, covering issues such as who goes to medical school, at what stage and with what outcome. Questions regarding widening access, meeting future workforce requirements, globalisation and learner mobility remain key concerns.  This themed issue allowed readers to discuss these issues and share their experiences.

Medical students and doctors in training are increasingly involved in medical education.  They are likely to teach other, less senior, students and trainees; and they also work collaboratively with their peers to share learning both formally and informally.  Evidence suggests that ‘near-peer’ and ‘peer-to-peer’ teaching have beneficial educational effects both for teachers and students and also for the culture and organisation of institutions, but more work needs to be done on how best to support both peer teachers and learners to get the most out of these educational opportunities.  This themed issue allowed readers to reflect on their own experiences and share their knowledge.

Most medical schools offer extensive learning opportunities with a focus on Life Sciences, these may be integrated with clinical sciences and clinical skills; linking theory with practice. Efforts have been made to define a core curriculum for some disciplines, but the emphasis has been on published lists of concepts, competences, and learning outcomes, rather than teaching methods with proven effectiveness.

In this special edition of MedEdPublish, a conversation was initiated about innovative, engaging and effective ways to support learners in their study of the Life Sciences; including anatomy, genetics, biochemistry and physiology.   The intention was to provoke discussions regarding the evidence-base of the teaching delivered, and consider if our graduates possess the necessary core knowledge and skills they require in clinical practice.

The world of medical education is not a level playing field; for each Institution or School that shows outstanding quality in its educational programmes, there are many who struggle to maintain even standard levels of healthcare education. Although lack of resources and financial constraints are some of the most common difficulties experienced, the changing world has created many other forms of difficulty; terrorism, war, political upheaval and meteorological disasters to name but a few. These difficulties eventually affect all; it is everyone’s need to not only understand and learn from these issues and explore how colleagues cope in these circumstances, but to explore how we all can assist and help.

This themed issue published papers which demonstrated solutions to the many difficulties we encounter, whether great or small, local, national or international, medical or other healthcare related.

The importance of social and behavioural factors in the aetiology of medical disorders is well established. In recent years reports in the US and UK have called for reforms in medical education to properly equip graduates with the skills to address new health challenges, to identify societal and behavioural factors that caused them or impeded their treatment, and develop strategies for successful intervention or prevention.
 
This themed issue published papers from those involved in teaching social and behavioural sciences in medicine (including those with responsibility for teaching, course design, and curriculum development).
 

Much patient care is now being provided in the community, away from the traditional, tertiary-referral, teaching hospital. Venues may include community health centres, regional diagnostic and treatment centres, cottage hospitals, general or family practice, patient homes, schools or workplaces. Wherever patient care is provided, opportunities for innovative student learning should follow.

There are now rich possibilities to develop innovative approaches to teaching and learning in a variety of situations not usually exposed to student teaching. This themed issue allowed those involved in any aspect of community-based medical education to share their experiences.