Background: Coronavirus (COVID19) appears to be an inflection point that is forcing a disruption in medical education. Objective: The study aims to explore how medical schools in Egypt responded to COVID-19 pandemic regarding teaching and learning/assessment for undergraduate students. Design: A mixed method exploratory 2-phase study was conducted. Data was collected through a questionnaire and focus groups. Results: The responses of the participants were categorized according to main themes; University preparedness, Role of faculty in the transition, Role of ME units/Departments/National/Regional bodies in the transition, Role of Egyptian Knowledge Bank, New teaching methods/strategies, New assessment methods/strategies and Projection into the future. The staff level of preparedness for that unexpected shift was evaluated as optimum to high and a good leadership support was reported by 70% of them. They reported conflicting views about the proper role of medical education units but reinforced the idea of Egyptian Knowledge Bank’s crucial role in this transition. Additionally, 64.1% of the participants identified a clinical skills teaching challenge and 76.3% of them reported absence of alternative methods for summative assessment. Finally, there is a communication problem with the students that leads to their detachment. Conclusions: Individuals moved faster than bodies and relied on support existing outside the universities when catastrophe happened. Many recommendations emerged including the need to integrate online learning into the curriculum at favorable percentages.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic health professions education, the world is living a major disruptive change and technology is being used abruptly to maintain teaching and learning. Face to face sessions have been replaced by virtual online lectures, the same occurred to small group tutorials, which have been replaced by interactive webinars. It is of paramount importance to acknowledge the role of technology and the presence of various applications and programs which facilitate this paradigm shift from face to face to virtual learning. The main challenges which face medical and other health colleges are the needs to train faculty members to heavily use technology in education and converting their materials to suite various online platforms. In addition, there is a great need to enhance students engagement in online learning to overcome the imposed physical barriers, which is not the case in face to face learning. The aim of this opinion piece is to draw light on the new needs for faculty development associated with digital transformation and the need for enhancing students engagement on a virtual platform.

Background COVID − 19 pandemic pressured medical schools globally to shift to Distance learning (DL) as an alternative way to ensure that the content delivered is satisfactory for student progression. Aim of the work This work aims at mapping priorities for post-COVID planning for better balance between distance learning and face to face learning. Methods This qualitative study aimed to develop a model for utilizing DL using The Polarity Approach for Continuity and Transformation (PACT)™. A virtual mapping session was held with 79 faculty from 19 countries. They worked in small groups to determine upsides and downsides of face-to-face and DL subsequently. An initial polarity map was generated identifying five tension areas; Faculty, Students, Curriculum, Social aspects and Logistics. A 63-item assessment tool was generated based on this map, piloted and then distributed as a self-administered assessment. The outcomes of this assessment were utilized for another mapping session to discuss warning signs and action steps to maintain upsides and avoid downsides of each pole. Results Participants agreed that face-to-face teaching allows them to inspire students and have meaningful connections with them. They also agreed that DL provides a good environment for most students. However, students with financial challenges and special needs may not have equal opportunities to access technology. As regards social issues, participants agreed that face-to-face learning provides a better chance for professionalism through enhanced team-work. Cognitive, communication and clinical skills are best achieved in face-to-face. Participants agreed that logistics for conducting DL are much more complicated when compared to face-to-face learning. Participants identified around 10 warning signs for each method that need to be continuously monitored in order to minimize the drawbacks of over focusing on one pole at the expense of the other. Action steps were determined to ensure optimized use of in either method. Conclusion In order to plan for the future, we need to understand the dynamics of education within the context of polarities. Educators need to understand that the choice of DL, although was imposed as a no-alternative solution during the COVID era, yet it has always existed as a possible alternative and will continue to exist after this era. The value of polarity mapping and leveraging allows us to maximize the benefit of each method and guide educators’ decisions to minimize the downsides for the good of the learning process.

The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously affected higher education institutions, that started, as a result of the pandemic to transition into more convenient options for teaching and assessment. 1 While medical schools around the globe are putting all their efforts to ensure readiness of students and faculty to efficiently use digital facilities and technology in their learning and teaching, the assessment of clinical competencies remains a difficult area that needs innovative solutions and adaptations. 2,3 Technology-enhanced learning is more than just a necessary transition in the COVID-19 era. It has been a target for years. This pursuit, however, has been persistently met by a great deal of resistance. Faculty have felt for years that they were not ready to fully use the available technologies. 4 With the transition that was mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic, all faculty were urged by the school administration to transform to using technology in the absence of any other available alternative. We need to capitalize on this achievement. Assessment, however, remains a problem that requires much more than the introduction of technology. Many

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Background: Identification is a major problem facing forensic practitioners, DNA and finger prints are highly useful but sometimes aren't easily collected from the crime scene. Lip print could be useful in this field being unique to each individual. Aim: The current study aimed at detecting the frequency and gender relation of lip print pattern in an Egyptian sample. Methodology: Samples were collected on white copy paper, divided into four quadrants then examined with magnifying lens for pattern distribution. Results: The study showed that pattern IV was the most frequently represented pattern in the study sample, pattern I & II were more prevalent in males and females respectively. Prevalent pattern in Cairo and Lower Egypt was I while it was IV in Upper Egypt. Conclusion: The lip print pattern can differ due to gender and geographical origin in Egyptian subjects.

Background With the strike of Covid-19, an unprecedented rapid shift to remote learning happened worldwide with a paradigm shift to online learning from an institutional adjuvant luxury package and learner choice into a forced solo choice. This raises the question of quality assurance. While some groups have already established standards for online courses, teaching and programs yet very little information is included on methodology of their development and very little emphasis is placed on the online learning experience. Nevertheless, no work has been done specifically for medical education institutions. Aim To develop a set of descriptors for best practice in online learning in medical education utilizing existing expertise and needs. Methods This work utilizes a qualitative multistage approach to identify the descriptors of best practice in online learning starting with a question guided focus group, thematic analysis, Delphi technique and an expert consensus session done simultaneously for triangulation. This was done involving 32 institution in 19 countries. Results This materialized into the development of a set of standards, indicators, and development of a checklist for each standard area. The standard areas identified were organizational capacity, educational effectiveness, and human resources each of which listed a number of standards. Expert consensus sessions identified the need for qualification of data and thus the development of indicators for best practice. Conclusion Standards are needed for online learning experience and their development and redesign is situational and needs to be enhanced methodologically in axes that are pertaining to the needs of the education community. Taking such axes into consideration by educators and institutions will lead to planning and implementing successful online learning activities, while taking them into consideration by the evaluators will help them conduct comprehensive audits and provide stakeholders with highly informative evaluation reports.