WGEA 2024 Spring Conference

Presenters:
Michael Campion, MEd, University of Washington School of Medicine
John Willford, PhD, University of Washington School of Medicine - Wyoming Campus
Heather McPhillips, MD, MPH, University of Washington School of Medicine

Topic: Basic Sciences: Teaching and Learning Pedagogies and Curricula

Rationale
As medical schools emerged from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many faced a new set of circumstances they hadn’t seen before. Classroom attendance declined; faculty perceived less respect from students, especially around topics of social justice; students called for virtual learning opportunities to relieve the burden of commuting to campus; more students needed higher levels of academic support; and students reported spending more time on activities outside the core curriculum, such as research projects, leadership opportunities, and advocacy work. Meanwhile, many  educators identified that certain aspects of pandemic-era teaching were positive, and they sought ways to incorporate elements of virtual learning into otherwise in-person experiences. Some have referred to our current situation as “the new normal” or “an inflection point for medical education.”