Int. Med. Educ., Volume 2, Issue 4 (December 2023) – 6 articles

For non-English-speaking nations such as Japan, proficiency in English has emerged as an indispensable skill, particularly in scientific fields like medicine. This research paper extends prior investigations into the motivations of Japanese medical students for learning English and delves into their willingness to communicate (WTC) in English. Importantly, it explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these motivations and communication behaviors. This study reveals that Japanese medical students are strongly instrumentally and vocationally motivated, viewing English as a practical asset for their future medical careers. They also exhibit a strong international posture, demonstrating an eagerness to engage with global cultures through English. Notably, the students’ motivation to study English remains resilient despite the pandemic’s challenges, such as the shift to remote learning and travel restrictions. However, their WTC in English exhibits nuanced changes. While overall WTC remains stable, students’ inclination to give presentations in English decreases significantly, possibly due to reduced face-to-face interactions in virtual learning environments. Additionally, their interest in participating in international events and activities wanes, possibly influenced by pandemic-related travel anxiety. These findings underscore the importance of offering specialized English classes and study abroad/international exchange experiences to sustain students’ motivation to learn English. Full article

Medical schools often rely on clinicians to provide guest lectures in foundational science courses. These guest lecturers may teach only once or sporadically in the undergraduate curriculum, which brings about several challenges that can impact their effectiveness. This guide, drawn from evidence-based teaching principles, medical student feedback, the authors’ training in educational and cognitive psychology, and experience as a clinical teacher, is designed to support clinical guest lecturers in meeting the educational standards and expectations for teaching in the preclinical setting as well as give insight into the needs of foundational science course directors and students. Full article

Reflection facilitates medical education and professional practice by enhancing active and deep learning from experiences. The reflection period is a time for self-awareness and self-assessment of learning events and experiences to improve future experiences (e.g., skill acquisition). Advocates for reflection suggest that reflective practice has the power to enhance professionalism as it provides an opportunity for critical thinking. It can be of variable length and depth; however, the process should be explorative and factual. Critical reflection is a broader and in-depth consideration of historical, cultural and political contexts to challenge and change one’s or a group’s assumptions and actions. Although the process is beneficial to achieving the intended learning objectives, its impact on educational and clinical outcomes remains unclear in anaesthesia. The usefulness of reflection in the learning process or work practices varies depending on personal, professional and organisational factors. Several models and approaches are described to facilitate the reflection process. However, assessment of reflection within the curriculum boundaries and for workplace-based learning activities is complex and challenging due to the lack of validated tools for different types of reflection. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for articles on reflection and its application in anaesthesia. The anaesthesia literature has minimal information on the theoretical and research aspects of reflective learning and teaching. This review aims to outline the purpose of reflection, discuss the utilisation of commonly used reflection models and underline the intricacy of reflection in anaesthesia learning, teaching and practice. This article highlights crucial factors which may foster or hinder reflection and its effectiveness in achieving meaningful intended outcomes. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the education sector of Bangladesh suffered a lot. To adapt to this uncertain situation, the online teaching–learning method was introduced for the first time in the dental colleges to continue regular classes. This qualitative study explored the in-depth perception among students of this new, affordable, flexible online learning method and to find out the scope of improvement of the delivery method. Two focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted, each including 6–8 participants (N = 16, the male/female ratio was 7:9) for gaining an in-depth understanding of the perception of online teaching among dental students. With the help of the trigger questions, the facilitator and moderators conducted both FGDs. By analyzing the focus group discussion, four distinct themes were identified. The main themes extracted from the data refer to the difficulties which students faced during participation in online classes (e.g., low attention span, unusual timing of classes, internet accessibility, power cut, boring content, etc.), advantages of online learning (e.g., saves time, able to continue studying during the lockdown, saves money, avoids commuting, being safe during a pandemic situation, one can participate in classes if sick, etc.), disadvantages of online classes (e.g., not feasible for clinical classes and lab works, lack of social interactions, lack of group study, long screen time, lack of after-class peer discussion, lack of engagement, etc.), and also scopes of improvements (e.g., technological training for staff, recorded classes, technological orientation for students, more engaging contents, online support, more interactive lessons, short duration of the class, break after 30–45 min, and also teachers training for online facilitation, etc.). In Bangladesh, the online teaching–learning method is not a regular practice. Most of the institutions were forced to adopt this method on very short notice because of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Online education in a clinical subject such as dentistry requires a special training program, online content preparation, and interactive lesson delivery setup, which are big challenges for a resource-constrained medical education setup. The focus group discussion unveiled some key issues which indicated that there are many scopes for improvement in online teaching methods. With the help of the medical education department and through faculty development, the online learning sessions can be made attractive as well as beneficiary for the key stakeholders. Full article

Recently, study abroad and elective programs have been facilitated via university partnerships based on student-exchange agreements. This study examined international medical student exchange agreements, focusing on reciprocity and stratification in the Japanese context. An empirical analysis was conducted using 581 agreements involving student exchanges with medical institutions in foreign countries based on a survey conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Education. We found that the average reciprocity rate via mutual tuition waivers was 52.84%: equivalent in Asia, slightly lower in Europe (49.61%), and higher in North America (58.06%). Europe has a balanced inbound and outbound exchange, Asia has a higher inbound exchange, and North America has an excess of outbound exchange from Japan. Moreover, selective institutions, such as former imperial or medical universities, have more than twice the number of agreements per university compared to others. In conclusion, it can be observed that international medical university partnerships are stratified, and reciprocity is intertwined with tuition waivers and the number of exchange students in the partnering institutions. As the results highlight the distinct characteristics of international education partnerships in Japan’s medical field compared to partnerships in all academic fields, it is necessary to investigate and develop international partnerships separately by field. Full article

Empathy is a crucial human quality that enables healthcare professionals to connect with patients, providing physical and emotional support to enhance patient-centered care. Empathy in healthcare is critical for establishing patient-provider (healthcare) trust, increasing patient satisfaction, and, eventually, delivering high-quality healthcare. However, there is growing concern about the declining levels of empathy among healthcare providers, partly related to increased workload, burnout, and empathic distress fatigue. Moreover, the recent emphasis of medical education on the technical aspects of healthcare over empathetic care also contributed to the decline of empathy among healthcare providers with compromised patient care. This brief article summarizes the potential causes and consequences of declining empathy in medical practice with future implications on the quality of humanized healthcare. Full article