Medical educators' reflection on how technology sustained medical education in the most critical times and the lessons learnt: Insights from an African medical school.

Abstract

Stakeholders in the field of medical education globally would generally agree that sustaining medical education through the dark times of the covid-19 pandemic is worth celebrating. In the midst of the difficulties that were created generally by the covid-19 pandemic, sustaining medical education required persistence, strategy, courageous leadership, and innovative adaptations both on the part of the educators, administrators and the students. The implications of continuing medical education during the covid-9 pandemic goes beyond just keeping medical schools open. It has an affective advantage, by impressing on the mind of trainees the importance of strategic adaptation, courage, and resilience. Should anything shut down, it must not be healthcare, and as such medical education should demonstrate such a level of commitment and character. Thankfully, this was what happened in many instances, including ours. One significant factor that made this possible was the integration of technology and innovation. It might not be out of place to say that technology and innovations literally saved medical education amidst the covid-19 pandemic. We also know that the level and quality of integration of technology and innovations varied from place to place. These might be described as heterogeneity of integration, which was further a reflection of inequity in development and advancements in medical education in different parts of the world. This piece includes our reflections on how technology sustained medical education in the most critical times and the lessons learned.