Major world events are often an inflection point for rapid innovation. In times of crisis there are always opportunities. A major example is rise of e- commerce giants like ‘Alibaba and ‘JD.com’ post SARS. Wordwide , medical educators have unlocked technology to deliver the best solutions in COVID era. The COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be a harbinger of change-making ‘technology’ and ‘online’ indispensable and innate components of medical education.
The COVID situation opened a conduit of opportunity for students (to consume) and for teachers (to diversify). The teachers who were mostly not gadget friendly were compelled to let go of their inhibitions and fears and now most have achieved an acceptable level of ‘e proficiency’. The students were already gadget friendly .The challenge lies in making them use gadgets and technology judiciously and in a manner that doesn’t drain them completely. This requires a lot of planning and monitoring.
The anatomists who were quite sceptical about online teaching have more or less adapted to online teaching. Infarct, the situation is likely to continue even after the pandemic is over due to scarcity of cadavers. There is no proven screening to ascertain that the donated body does not belong to a COVID carrier/patient. So acceptance of body donations is not advisable for the safety of medical students and health care workers in present scenario.
The COVID situation has heralded a new hybrid model of medical education with significant benefits. ‘E’-learning post-COVID-19 seems to be a plausible reality. ‘E’- learning is one of the very few sectors where financial investment has not dried up in the COVID era.
This pandemic has definitely highlighted the importance of disseminating knowledge across borders, companies, and all parts of society. In 2020 technology played a vital role in keeping people informed about COVID spread and required precautions. Many started online banking transactions and online shopping. We realized the cost-effectiveness of online module. A simple school online parent teacher meeting saves time, resources and is convenient.
I understand that there are drawbacks to the online process. These drawbacks can be overcome with realization. I also believe that the ‘situational integration’ of information technology in medical education created by COVID 19 will be further accelerated as time goes by every day, in 2020 we have explored, experimented, indigenized, and brainstormed on online teaching. Online education has already become an inseparable, integral component of medical education.
(Dr Gaurav Agnihotri)