Medical Education and Learning for Globalized Patient Population with Web 2.0
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Abstract
Unprecedented technological advancements, intersected with Web 2.0 tools and media technology, have intensified migration and immigration globally. In the contexts of market economies, motivation for upward personal, social and economic mobilization, migrants, including professionals such as medical doctors, join the migratory movement in this globalized world, only to realize that opportunities for medical education and retraining to continue their medical career in Canada is virtually impossible.
This presentation explores a broad framework for enhancing the delivery of medical education and retraining of IMDs with the use of Web 2.0 technologies, to prepare IMDs for the practice of medicine in Canada. The framework is grounded on two criteria: 1) expand the century-old Flexner Report’s recommendation which currently aims at steering medical education to adhere to the protocols of “mainstream†science of teaching into a broader perspective of international social sciences and cultural skills to more accurately reflect the growing diversity of the patient population in Canada; 2) expand the learning, assessment and retraining opportunities for IMDs with the utilization of interactive Web 2.0 technologies such videos, webcasts, blogs and social networking.
My argument is, mainstream homogenous populations are being reshaped to multi-diverse ethnic populations in most westernized countries. Medical schools across Canada and the United States are modifying medical education curricula and goals and objectives for all specialties of medicine and using Web 2.0 tools to facilitate medical and professional learning, collaboration and socialization among learners and teachers. However, while technological advancements, globalization, market economies, as well as need for skilled workers in immigrant countries such as Canada, inflates migration movements to Canada, medical education and retraining programs to prepare IMDs for work in medicine are in short supply.
Statistics and reports show that the Metropolitan city of Toronto is one of the largest immigrant cities in Canada. It is one of the most ethnically diverse cities with almost half of its 5.5 million population (GTS 2011 Census) born in a foreign country (Statistics Canada, 2006) and speak a mother tongue other than English (CMA, 2011). In addition, while Canada experiences a shortage of medical doctors and while Metropolitan Toronto attracts almost half of the number of the IMDs who immigrate to Canada, opportunities for IMDs to learn and integrate in the medical network in Toronto are rare. Many IMDs in Metropolitan Toronto study privately at universities, public libraries, coffee shops and other public places, or in groups at medical centres or other hospital auditorium, for preparation of Canadian medical exams and skills assessment tests, while at the same time. Irregardless, the majority are turned away from the profession as unsuitable to practice Canadian medicine.
Today, universities provide courses, lectures, academic seminars, skills practice exercises and social networking opportunities among Canadian physicians and learners with the use of synchronous and interactive Web and video interfaces. This allows users to ask questions, leave comments and receive feedback from specialists and medical experts. As this presentation is a work-in-progress, I will not provide results, nor conclusions for this study. Rather, I will provide evidence of how Web 2.0 tools are used in medical education programs in various medical schools in Canada and the United States. I will argue for the development and use of a similar style of medical education and training program for IMDs in their preparation for eligibility assessment to practice medicine in Canada.
This presentation explores a broad framework for enhancing the delivery of medical education and retraining of IMDs with the use of Web 2.0 technologies, to prepare IMDs for the practice of medicine in Canada. The framework is grounded on two criteria: 1) expand the century-old Flexner Report’s recommendation which currently aims at steering medical education to adhere to the protocols of “mainstream†science of teaching into a broader perspective of international social sciences and cultural skills to more accurately reflect the growing diversity of the patient population in Canada; 2) expand the learning, assessment and retraining opportunities for IMDs with the utilization of interactive Web 2.0 technologies such videos, webcasts, blogs and social networking.
My argument is, mainstream homogenous populations are being reshaped to multi-diverse ethnic populations in most westernized countries. Medical schools across Canada and the United States are modifying medical education curricula and goals and objectives for all specialties of medicine and using Web 2.0 tools to facilitate medical and professional learning, collaboration and socialization among learners and teachers. However, while technological advancements, globalization, market economies, as well as need for skilled workers in immigrant countries such as Canada, inflates migration movements to Canada, medical education and retraining programs to prepare IMDs for work in medicine are in short supply.
Statistics and reports show that the Metropolitan city of Toronto is one of the largest immigrant cities in Canada. It is one of the most ethnically diverse cities with almost half of its 5.5 million population (GTS 2011 Census) born in a foreign country (Statistics Canada, 2006) and speak a mother tongue other than English (CMA, 2011). In addition, while Canada experiences a shortage of medical doctors and while Metropolitan Toronto attracts almost half of the number of the IMDs who immigrate to Canada, opportunities for IMDs to learn and integrate in the medical network in Toronto are rare. Many IMDs in Metropolitan Toronto study privately at universities, public libraries, coffee shops and other public places, or in groups at medical centres or other hospital auditorium, for preparation of Canadian medical exams and skills assessment tests, while at the same time. Irregardless, the majority are turned away from the profession as unsuitable to practice Canadian medicine.
Today, universities provide courses, lectures, academic seminars, skills practice exercises and social networking opportunities among Canadian physicians and learners with the use of synchronous and interactive Web and video interfaces. This allows users to ask questions, leave comments and receive feedback from specialists and medical experts. As this presentation is a work-in-progress, I will not provide results, nor conclusions for this study. Rather, I will provide evidence of how Web 2.0 tools are used in medical education programs in various medical schools in Canada and the United States. I will argue for the development and use of a similar style of medical education and training program for IMDs in their preparation for eligibility assessment to practice medicine in Canada.
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