On May 9, 2020, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University through Khon Kaen University Medical Student Association, hosts the First International Webinars entitled ‘Medical Education in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: Student Perspectives’. Speakers are medical students from 4 universities and countries: Mr. Sam Lin, 4th-year medical student, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Taiwan; Miss Fontong Katato, 4th-year medical student, Sun Yat – Sen University of Medicine Sciences, PR. China; Miss Alexa Dzienny, 3rd-year medical student, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, USA and Miss Chantarateera Pholvivat, 5th-year medical student, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, our usual practices of medical education have been disrupted at an unprecedented pace and scale. The clinical rotations are suspended for medical students and the face-to-face teaching has been changed
to virtual platforms. The medical students are facing difficulties and stressful times that have arisen due to the widespread effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The alternative effective teaching strategies and safest education in supporting and enhancing medical students’ education is online teaching. “4th– and 5th-year medical students study from home solely while 6th– year medical students study and work in the hospital”, Chantarateera said. Same as Taiwan, Sam said “lecture classes held online but he has small group classes”. Meanwhile none of the medical students are allowed to remain at the hospital in China and the US. Chinese Professors do bedside-teaching via video calls so that medical students can appreciate real situations. Chantarateera, Fontong and Alexa are satisfied with the online teaching and understand that it is the rationale due to the inevitable situation of COVID-19 but Sam goes against. He desires to study with his classmates who drive and motivate him to study. However, all speakers agreed, online classes have some limitations while bedside teaching with patients in wards offers essential opportunity to acquire practical and clinical skills.
Written by: Miss Thanjira Sumanont, 5th–year medical student
Edited by: Dr. Jutarop Phetcharaburanin, Miss Duangsamorn Chankwang and Miss Kanokphorn Hinthao, International Relations Division, Research and International Relations Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University
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