Leaders from Imperial's Medical Education Innovation and Research Centre took time out to discuss their evidence based approach to medical education.
MEdIC was launched by Imperial's Undergraduate Primary Care Education Team as a first of its kind translational centre in 2019. Its Director is Dr Sonia Kumar, who sees the centre's value in tackling the challenges of caring for an ageing, increasingly diverse population facing widening societal inequity.
"We have a responsibility to develop doctors who understand the changing societal and healthcare landscape, so they can offer impactful, compassionate care. MEdIC represents a radical rethink around learning and how to support students to become good doctors. We take an evidence-based approach to addressing NHS needs, and the challenges posed by the communities it serves."
The centre applies its innovative approach to medical education across five core areas: diversity and inclusion, promoting person-centred coaching, longitudinal learning, professional identity and practice and digital health and education.
To achieve progress across such wide-ranging issues, MEdIC brings together a diverse team. Alongside NHS clinical academics like Sonia, it employs a Community Lead, who is embedded at local levels, as well as experienced educationists and educational researchers. MEdIC is also working with numerous national and international collaborators. Dr Jo Horsburgh, MEdIC's Lead for Medical Education Research, believes this unique collection of expertise helps achieve real life change.
"The MEdIC mission can be seen as a triangle, with the three corners representing the evolving needs of the community, our healthcare system and its workforce, and our students. In the centre of this triangle is where our research and innovation deliver societal impact."
