The Impacts of the Search Conference on the Development of Undergraduate Medical Education

Stakeholder engagement fosters creativity and adaptation in medical education. Recently, medical schools have shown increased interest in stakeholder input, yet data on its impact on undergraduate medical education remain limited. Additionally, effective methods to engage stakeholders in curriculum development are needed. This study aims to explore the impact of the Search Conference method on shaping undergraduate medical education at Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine.

A qualitative document analysis was conducted. Stakeholders involved in undergraduate medical education or contributing to its development participated. They were divided into four groups and discussed six key topics over two days.

Stakeholders highlighted several factors expected to influence health in the 2030s, including the long-term effects of the pandemic, future pandemics, migration, biological changes, evolving dietary habits, rising healthcare costs, and technology-driven challenges such as screen addiction. They emphasized the need for future physicians to develop competencies in technology and financial literacy, innovative and design-oriented thinking, and self-regulated learning. Additionally, managing healthcare for an aging population was identified as a crucial competency. The Search Conference uniquely enabled collaborative determination of strategic goals, stakeholder roles, and institutional methods.

This study provides the first evidence of the Search Conference method's impact on undergraduate medical education. By incorporating stakeholder insights and foresight, medical schools should realign their educational goals and curricula to better prepare future physicians for emerging healthcare challenges.