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The expansion of medical knowledge, together with advancements in biomedical research, are presenting extraordinary opportunities to train future health care leaders to deliver increasingly complex levels of patient care. At the same time, student preparation for medical school is becoming more and more varied as technology presents new promises and challenges.
For this first-of-its-kind exploration of trends, developments and current best practices in medical education, Harvard Medical School’s (HMS) Office for External Education convened 90 senior institutional leaders from 44 medical schools in 26 countries for the inaugural IMPACT Symposium this month.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this unprecedented opportunity to build a community of like-minded deans and health care leaders who are working to improve medical education around the world,” Daley added.
“As medical school leaders, we are all in the same place with regard to our priorities, and we all want the same thing for our students and their patients,” said María Guadalupe Zavala-Cerna, academic coordinator for the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico.
“By reaching outside of its own institution, Harvard is offering what they have developed so that other schools around the world can benefit,” Zavala-Cerna said.
Medical educators who attended the symposium worked through real-world examples and challenges, such as how to develop a framework for educators to successfully lead flipped classroom sessions, led by Richard Schwartzstein, HMS director of educational scholarship.
Another session discussed how to lead faculty through major curriculum overhauls, led by Edward M. Hundert, dean for medical education, Barbara A. Cockrill, director of faculty development in the M.D. program, and Ted A. James, HMS associate professor of surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
“The forces of change in our field present both real challenges and outstanding opportunities for medical schools across the world,” said David Roberts, HMS dean for external education. “We look forward to continued engagement with institutions that share common goals and values.”
