*6.2.5 Dependency of medical education on clinical facilities and clinical educators*

The concept of online learning cannot replace real-time patient interaction and clinical experience which are deeply ingrained, foundation and unique attributes of medical curriculum. Limited (and in some cases none) exposure to clinical teaching raised concerns regarding the competence and skills of final year students, interns and post-graduate trainees who could not get the required clinical experience. Real-life counseling, history taking and examination skills cannot be performed online. Moreover ethics, professionalism and other soft skills are learnt through role modeling for which physical interaction is essential. Though opportunities to provide clinical clerkship through virtual experience were being explored, the idea was not sufficiently imbibed by medical students. In Libya, a study showed 53% of the students expressed their disagreement for this approach.
