A competency-based digital medical education model in conflict-affected settings

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Health
• Global Health Equity

Background:

• Medical education in conflict zones faces infrastructure and access barriers.
• Afghan female medical trainees experienced interrupted education due to higher education restrictions.
• The Canadian Virtual Medical University Initiative (CVMUI) offers an online, competency-based curriculum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate learning outcomes for Afghan female medical trainees in a digital pre-internship program.
• To assess the effectiveness of an online, simulation-enabled curriculum.
• To determine the feasibility of remote medical education in conflict-affected settings.

Main Methods:

• A digital curriculum covering five major organ systems was implemented via Lecturio and CyberPatient.
• Ninety-two female students (Level I-II) with prior Afghan medical education participated.
• Knowledge and clinical skills were assessed pre- and post-training using MCQs and virtual OSCEs.

Main Results:

• Significant knowledge gains were observed in Level I students (52-58 point increase).
• Level II students showed substantial improvements in knowledge, clinical performance, and total scores (57-62 point difference).
• Over 90% of participants reported high satisfaction with learning objectives, feedback, and the educational climate.

Conclusions:

• A digital, simulation-enhanced, competency-based model provides high-quality medical education in challenging settings.
• This approach offers a scalable and equitable educational pathway for women excluded from traditional medical training.
• Further research should explore integrating this model into credentialing frameworks.