Evolving landscapes in global medical education: navigating challenges and embracing innovation

Background

Amidst the concurrent waves of the global industrial and life science revolutions, science and medical technology have experienced unprecedented exponential growth. Over the past century, global medical education has undergone three waves of reformation. The first wave was guided by the Flexner report at the beginning of the 20th century [1, 2], which implemented a science-based curriculum system reform. Around the mid-century, the second wave focused on instructional innovations and introduced a problem-based teaching system [3]. In 2010, Frenk et al. published the Lancet commission on Education of Health Professionals for the 21st Century [4]. This marked the third wave of medical education reform, competency-oriented and system-based medical education, being officially launched on a global scale.

Medical education faces numerous challenges worldwide, with common issues affecting many countries. The challenges faced are multifaceted and deeply rooted within the system as described by Frenk et al. [4], encompassing (i) a misalignment between healthcare competencies and the needs of patients and populations; (ii) ineffective collaboration among healthcare teams and entrenched gender disparities in professional standing; (iii) a limited technical approach that lacks a comprehensive understanding of context; (iv) a pattern of intermittent patient interactions instead of consistent care; (v) a disproportionate emphasis on hospital care over primary health services; (vi) imbalanced supply and demand in the healthcare workforce, both in numbers and skills; and (vii) a deficiency in strong leadership to enhance the performance of health systems. Based on the above challenges, this reform poses a significant change to the knowledge, skills, and values of medical and health professionals, emphasising the need for medical students to possess core competencies, such as critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and teamwork abilities, to meet increasingly diverse health needs. In this era, it is imperative for the medical education system to innovate and adapt consistently to enhance the competency training of medical talents. This approach is crucial for better accommodating and fulfilling the evolving and diverse health requirements of society.

According to the current understanding of medical education, it is imperative to promote reform through the following three actions while acknowledging that this list is not exhaustive. First, reforming and reshaping medical education institutions is necessary. To transition from informative to formative and ultimately to transformative learning, a series of instructional and institutional reforms are required, including leveraging global resources and exploiting the power of information technology for learning. Second, both inter-professional and trans-professional education should be promoted. Medical education research should not be limited to basic subject areas or specific diseases, but requires systematic models to capture the intricate relationships within the field and shape comprehensive healthcare professionals to solve the multifaceted challenges faced by modern medicine. It is imperative to strengthen interdisciplinary exchanges and integration, break down professional silos, and promote interdisciplinary training in SHAPE (social sciences, humanities, and the arts for people and the economy), STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and MKDC (medical knowledge, and develop cutting-edge medical fields), such as precision medicine, translational medicine, and intelligent medicine. Third, improving knowledge transfer efficiency is necessitated. Medical educators need to remain up-to-date with current trends and developments, utilise artificial intelligence (AI) and big data resources to enhance the efficiency of medical student learning, and optimise curriculum design and teaching techniques to improve education quality.

The scope of the journal

With the burgeoning cross-border exchange of knowledge, technology and finance, and the transnational movement of professionals and patients, the emergent global interdependence sets the stage for shared learning and cooperative problem-solving. In this context, the launch of the new Global Medical Education journal is envisioned as a resource platform to facilitate communication among medical educators worldwide, with the mission of collectively elevating the standards of medical training. This journal is dedicated to broadcasting cutting-edge research and pedagogical innovations from both national and international arenas. It aims to advance the field by introducing pioneering approaches to knowledge exchange and educational strategies, thereby contributing to the ongoing transformation and progress in medical education worldwide. This initiative was designed to optimise the sharing of medical insights and support the evolution of the next generation of medical practitioners.

Global Medical Education, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, will publish research findings in areas covering, but not limited to, (i) reconstructing medical education systems: Innovations in AI-based collaborative learning communities and education paradigms in medical and data science engineering; (ii) reshaping medical knowledge systems: Development of systemic medical knowledge frameworks, STEM, SHAPE and MKDC knowledge systems for medical students; and (iii) enhancing knowledge transfer efficiency: Optimisation of curriculum design and classroom teaching through learning sciences to support medical students’ capabilities in future healthcare systems. Submissions will include original research, review articles, case studies, and innovative teaching methods that contribute to the progression of medical education and the growth of competent healthcare professionals.

Conclusions

Currently, the global medical education framework is undergoing a profound transformation. Therefore, it is imperative for medical educators to transcend the conventional boundaries of medical disciplines, promote interdisciplinary integration and innovation, and align their efforts with cutting-edge advancements in international science and technology. These approaches are crucial for cultivating exceptional medical professionals who possess a global perspective and are well suited to meet the evolving needs of our era. Shanghai Jiao Tong University and De Gruyter academic publishing will work together to unite academic institutions, experts, and scholars at all levels in China and global medical educators worldwide to build an international publishing platform that disseminates global medical education information and experiences and promotes global medical education reforms. Global Medical Education is devoted to demonstrating the latest research findings on global medical education. We welcome the entire scientific and global medical education community to share opinions and submit articles to Global Medical Education to jointly advance the development of medical education.