Impact of COVID-19 on health profession education in Singapore: Adoption of innovative strategies and contingencies across the educational continuum

Abstract

Introduction: The Coronavirus-19 pandemic has had profound effects on health professions education (HPE) posing serious challenges to the continued provision and implementation of undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education (CME). Across these HPE domains, the major disruptions included the exclusion of undergraduate learners from clinical learning environments, restricted intra-, inter-institutional and overseas movement of medical professionals, termination of face-to-face learner-educator interactions, deployment of postgraduate learners into non-scope service settings, and CME postponement. Methods: In this review we report on how in Singapore various adaptive measures were instituted across the 3 HPE domains at institutional and national level to maintain adequate resources at the frontline to meet service exigencies, promote healthcare professionals’ wellbeing and safety as well as mitigate the spread of the pandemic. Results: We identified several strategies and contingencies developed to address these challenges. These involved the use of online learning platforms, distributed and asynchronous learning, an undergraduate Pathway Programme, and use of innovative hands-on technology like simulation. Robust, well pre-planned pandemic preparedness, effective communication, as well as provision of psychological support resources ensured maintenance of service and academic continuity, trust and resilience within HPE. However, several challenges remain, namely the timing and manner of conducting formative and summative assessments, cybersecurity, and the indispensable hands-on, in-person experiential learning for surgical training. Conclusion: Strong leadership with vision and planning, good communication, prioritising learners’ and educators’ wellbeing and safety, and harnessing existing and emerging online learning technologies are crucial elements for effective contingencies for HPE disruption during pandemics.

Emerging stronger post pandemic: Medical and Health Professional Education

“…COVID pandemic created worldwide disruptions to all services and had profound impact on training of health professionals, posing serious challenges to maintaining essential healthcare services. During the height of the pandemic, most of the undergraduate learners were prevented from clinical training sites, restricted intra, inter-institutional and overseas learning opportunities and in many institutions, there were termination of onsite learner-educator engagements (Ng et al, 2021;Renaud et al, 2021;Samarasekera et al, 2020). Less face to face, peer and faculty interactions and restricted mobility of learners led to some of them facing poor mental wellbeing and health issues.…”