EDU in the Slovakian press: Mr. Matthew Rai, BSc (Hons), PGDip, member of EDU’s curriculum team located in Bratislava, wrote an article detailing how students in EDU’s medicine programme learn medical theory through an interactive virtual platform, active learning approaches, and participate in early clinical rotations to prepare them to practice medicine in a way that both fits to 21st century needs and is largely unaffected by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The article, entitled “EDU. A degree smarter”, was published in the July 2020 print issue of the Slovakian medical newspaper, Lekárske Noviny.
Read the full English version of the article below:
EDU. A degree smarter
In the midst of a global pandemic, an emerging, online medical school is carrying on their day to day operations largely unhindered. Whilst most universities have had to temporarily close their doors, EDU is in full-scale online operation, through their German, Slovak, and Maltese offices.
(EDU) was founded in 2018 with a vision of revolutionizing medical education. EDU’s founders recognized a distinct lack of practicing and prospective physicians worldwide, in particular in rural regions. EDU is proud to be the first digital educational institute of its kind in Europe, offering an interactive, bachelor, and master’s degree in Human Medicine taught in the English language. The entirety of the theoretical phase of student teaching and facilitation of learning is done in an innovative online environment. This makes the student learning experience interactive, enjoyable and accessible for medical students across a broader platform, including those who may not otherwise have physical access to a medical school.
This novel competency-based curriculum, combined with placements in established teaching hospitals across Germany, helps EDU to train the next generation of medical professionals. Students are provided with early clinical exposure from the very first trimester and will complete up to 2200 hours of clinical rotation by the end of the five-year programme.
A dedicated team of medical tutors delivers a cutting-edge programme using a modified problem-based-learning approach set out by a diversely trained Curriculum Team. The programme is split into a Bachelor and Master of Medicine, attainable in three and two years respectively. Students pursuing a career in medicine will need to complete the full five-year curriculum, in line with the EU directive 2005/36. Those wishing to pursue a career in research or other clinical careers may wish to take the Bachelor’s of Medicine programme alone and seek further, more specific qualifications thereafter.
The Curriculum Team implements a variety of student-centered learning approaches to maintain student engagement and optimize the learning process. This often includes the use of a flipped classroom model with an emphasis on active student participation and hence, improved learning and retention of knowledge.
Students are also provided with personal support from mentors who guide and coach them on their journey. Mentors at EDU come from a diverse range of backgrounds and assist with soft skills, medical English, and personal support throughout the programme. This is a further benefit to studies at EDU when compared with many traditional teaching approaches.
Students at EDU also have the luxury of cutting-edge and interactive online medical resources, available on a purpose-built digital platform. These resources are engaging and combine the latest medical educational material with ground-breaking software that is accessible for students from all corners of the globe. This is another revolutionary feature of EDU’s learning philosophy. Students can study the theoretical phase from anywhere in the world, providing there is an internet connection. The curriculum composes of an archive of carefully compiled learning units and learning objectives which enables structured and stepwise learning across modules. Each module relates to a narrative, which adds a further personal connection to the learning experience. The curriculum is constantly evolving and developing and as such the latest medical topics are covered to provide students with knowledge fit for the current healthcare systems. As a result, current students can expect to learn about topics such as antibacterial resistance, physician stress, burnout, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Unsurprisingly, EDU is growing rapidly and increasing in popularity. The long-term goal is to expand and develop outside of the EU as well as to continue to flourish within Europe. In light of the current pandemic, prospective student interest is soaring, and it is becoming even more clear now, how a medical education taught through an online platform is fit for the 21st century and current healthcare system.
