Perspective Chapter: Transforming Continuing Medical Education in the COVID-19

*Nikos Christo Secchi Nicolás and Ángel de Jesús Gómez Alarcón*

## **Abstract**

Medical education is not immune from the heartaches produced by abrupt contemporary changes in our world, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Unexpectedly, and on very short notice, people can no longer teach or learn alongside other people. The impact on the heart of the educational processes of the health professions is unprecedented. The key concerns of yesterday, such as the need to enhance bedside learning or to enhance the experience of students in the clinical setting, in the clinical workplace, have a different meaning. Medical educators can leverage technology to enhance medical education at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Although the most recent initiatives, such as remote transmissions, have been introduced for a long time, traditional classes, lectures, and face-to-face didactic tutorials continue to be the most important cornerstone of medical education both in our country and abroad. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges in medical education globally. Each society has responded according to its possibilities and needs to take advantage of this situation as a learning opportunity, continue with education, and incorporate students as health workers in the countries where it was necessary.

**Keywords:** continuing medical education, COVID-19, pandemic, teachers, videoconferencing, information and communication technologies

#### **1. Introduction**

Health science educators were living times of discussion about competencybased education, how this influenced curriculum design, teaching methodologies, and the role of teachers. The beginning of the decade took us in time when medical schools and colleges are incorporating an early approach to the field of practice and have increased the proportion of learning in practice settings. We never assumed a scenario like this. The COVID-19 pandemic is a situation not intended neither for health, nor for the economy, nor medical education. Everything will undoubtedly change during this period. There may be new, moderate forms of quarantine, but the world will certainly not be the same when the pandemic passes.

Medical education is not immune to the heartaches produced by abrupt contemporary changes in our world, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Unexpectedly, and on very short notice, people can no longer teach or learn alongside other people. The impact on the heart of the educational processes of the health professions is unprecedented. Suddenly, the status quo of undergraduate or graduate medical education has been called into question, perhaps for the better. The key concerns of yesterday,

such as the need to improve patient bedside learning or to enhance the experience of students in the clinical setting, in the clinical workplace, have a different meaning.
