Medical education is a collective knowledge

Medical education has been a term owned by higher position in medicine. It’s the privy knowledge of the elites. Nowadays, the ability to learn medicine has crossed barriers. Anyone can get into best medical schools in the world, regardless of their demographic. Moreover, medical education isn’t strictly the teachings of education professionals anymore. It is the collective knowledge, all of us can obtain.

Evolving terminology

The terminology in medicine is due for some reimagining and redefining. For instance the definition for the very term ‘patient’ itself is evolving. By its former noun form, it meant a ‘person who is under medical care’. The current adjective form would mean ‘bearing pain and hardships with calm and without complaints’.

N of 1

As e-patient physicians Matt Dudley put it, every patient is na N of 1. We must get an understanding of the precision quotient. Humans are not machines. Two machines can have the same make up. But no two human bodies can be the same. Each body will react differently to a particular treatment. Every patient’s experience is different. Both of them mutually have knowledge to gain from one another. It puts much more emphasis to the fact – medical education is a collective knowledge.

Learning via personal experiences

Medical education is now based on personal experiences. You learn pain and relief, and you learn that both are temporary. You learn when you fall sick while being old enough to know what it means. You learn the name of the condition and you treat it. You stay at home and rest. In the process you learn that compassion and warmth are integral part of healing. Symptoms in theory are not the exact representation of reality. In fact, the theory is a record of personal experiences.

Inclusive education

Medical education is getting increasingly inclusively. The modern education includes the patients. They want to learn more about their conditions. They get to be partners with doctors in their cure. A doctor’s education starts with 4 years of core science and pre-medical courses in college. It is followed by 4 year of medical school leading to a doctor degree. It continues with another year of internship followed by years of practice. The patient on the other hand approaches his/her condition right away. Evidently, the medical outcome is improved when entire medical team and the patient works as a team.

Participation of patients

Patients are more active, thanks largely to available information online. They search their symptoms online even when waiting in a hospital. Whatever the doctor tells or writers is put into Google search. On the flip side such a patient’s recovery works based on fear rather than confidence.

Breaking the barriers

Medical schools are investing in creative class in medicine. They believe it’s facilitated only through democratization of writing, recording and publishing tools. Such tools are free, open and accessible for anyone. Nevertheless, these aren’t always hard facts, but they can be opinion pieces as well. Additionally, VR technology alone has advanced medical education and healthcare in general.