Factors affecting the current status of transfusion medicine education in South Africa

Education in transfusion medicine, aimed at clinical transfusion practice, is limited in most South African pre- and postgraduate medical training programs. A number of local and global factors impact on the need for and provision of transfusion medicine education programs in South Africa, which are discussed in this paper. A perspective is provided on the effects of issues such as global versus local training need, blood safety, appropriate use of blood in resource-restrained environments, the presence or absence of national blood policies, standardization of training, medical migration and workforce diversity. Harnessing support for the development of training programs for medical doctors and new opportunities for developing a career in transfusion medicine are discussed. Commentary is also provided on online learning, social networking and integration of modern paradigms of learning, such as screencasting and online learning, into teaching programs. This article should provide anyone in medical education or program development, in particular in the field of transfusion medicine, with an indication of the factors that should be considered when embarking on such an endeavor.