Teaching medical education during the era of COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and probable solutions.

Abstract

not available Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(5) 2021 p.3-6

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental and medical education in Bangladesh: a pilot study and the implications

“…Similar to other LMICs, including those across Africa, there were appreciable challenges to the education of dental and medical students at the start of the pandemic including mentorship 39,41,48,68,69 . This included the need for both staff and students to rapidly become familiar with e-learning approaches including addressing a lack of direct contact between students and faculty members (Table 2).…”

“…In addition, Bangladesh has one postgraduate medical university, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), that controls Bangladesh's postgraduate medical education. The questionnaire was developed based on the study undertaken in Africa regarding the impact of COVID-19 on physician and pharmacy education combined with publications from Bangladesh and other countries discussing similar issues and challenges alongside the experiences of the senior-level co-authors 1,[39][40][41][42][43]48 . Four questions were contained in the questionnaire to address the aims and objectives of the study.…”

“…Consequently, in view of the increasing challenges with managing patients with both infectious and noninfectious diseases in Bangladesh, it is important that new physicians and dentists are appropriately trained to enhance the rational use of medicines across disease areas. However, we are aware of the challenges in healthcare professional education in Bangladesh during the pandemic, including for physicians and pharmacists, arising from the closure of universities and transfer to e-learning across Bangladesh and wider 1,[39][40][41][42][43] . We are also aware of the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of students and university staff across countries including medical students [44][45][46][47] .…”

​Key findings regarding COVID 19 in Bangladesh and wider and their implications

“…However, there can also be opportunities from online approaches including greater flexibility and more opportunities for educators to regularly check on student understanding and progress 72 . Yousuf and Salam as well as Islam in their respective papers subsequently discuss potential ways to address these challenges and conclude that careful planning and good co-ordination in teaching delivery, with the aid of online educational technologies and tutorials to address the many challenges, can enhance successful online learning 72,73 , with similar examples seen on other countries 74 . However, this requires familiarisation and proper training of current software technologies 72,73 .…”

COVID-19 and the impact on the education of healthcare professionals across countries with a particular focus on developing countries

“…We are also aware that the transition to online learning has not been easy for a number of faculty members and students 58 . Identified issues included appreciable variations in the necessary skills among both faculty staff members and students to conduct teaching and interactions on-line at the start of the pandemic, exacerbated by poor computer skills among some faculty members and students [59][60][61][62][63] . Alongside this, the necessary ICT equipment including laptops alongside available, reliable and affordable internet facilities, as well as quiet rooms, to fully undertake e-learning 50,57,62,[64][65][66] .…”