Globalization and Medical Education in a Post-Pandemic World

Abstract

The chapter opens with a general definition of globalization, its characteristics, and its consequences on medical education. Globalization is a complex phenomenon with positive and negative impacts on the world: Central to globalization is the movement of people and ideas across borders in search of better opportunities. However, this rapid movement of people also enables the transmission of pathogens causing pandemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented devastation in all walks of life, but it hastened the adoption of innovative models of educating medical students and residents. To appreciate the profound changes in medical education caused by the pandemic, one needs to understand the pre-pandemic reforms in medical education. In this context, the author will discuss the pivotal points in a historical review of modern medicine’s global origins and development. He will highlight the contributions made by Flexner and his influence on the further development of American medical education. Simultaneously, the author will explore the critically important role of the World Health Organization in the worldwide expansion of medical education. A brief discussion of the quality of medical education and the controversies surrounding the proposed institutional accreditation as a tool to monitor will follow. Finally, a consideration of the significant impact of differences in colonial and current socio-economic realities between LMICs and HICs on the evolution of medical education will conclude the chapter.