COVID-19 impact and virtual medical education

Abstract

The Corona-Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic has hada tremendous effect on medical education. It is also challengingthe medical educationists’ ability to adapt to this whole uniquesituation. Considering the hospital-based education, clinicalmentors, and students in all health professions are potentialcarriers.However, the current crisis is revitalizing the necessity foronline learning opportunities and virtual education. Mostmedical schools are following reacting to lockdown with a shiftto live online or video-based learning. Maintaining standardin medical education, keeping the clinical learning on stream,and minimizing the assessment disruption are unprecedentedchallenges under pandemic conditions. Adaptation to this newsituation is necessary to prepare future clinicians for practice.This commentary discusses how this pandemic may affectmedical education. In this commentary, the author highlights theimportance of virtual education and the potential implicationsof integrating virtual simulation technologies into medicaleducation for the future of clinical competency learning andassessment.

Keywords

• covid-19
• pandemics
• virtual education
• medical education
• simulation