COVID-19: A Reminder for Medical Curriculum Review
infectious diseases, Pandemic, Curriculum revision
Kenneth Yuh Yen Kok, Fazean Irdayati Idris, David Soo Quee Koh Discipline of Medicine, Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei DarussalamCorrespondence: Kenneth Yuh Yen KokPengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, BE 1410, Brunei DarussalamTel +673-246 0922Fax +(673)-261 2461Email kenneth.kok@ubd.edu.bnAbstract: Medical schools must ensure that their curricula evolve in response to changes in clinical practice and the needs of future doctors. Undergraduate medical programs should be better equipped to anticipate and plan for changes in future clinical practice and learning needs of the students. The COVID-19 outbreak and the recent epidemics of new and emerging infections have brought into sharp focus the importance of subjects, such as infectious diseases, infection control, public health, occupational health and virology in medical school curricula. A review of the medical curriculum at PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences revealed that the time allotted for teaching these subjects is much less than that allotted for teaching non-communicable diseases and other subjects. The changing health paradigm requires medical teaching to be continuously redefined and updated. Given the reduced amount of teaching time allotted for subjects, such as infectious diseases, infection control, public health, occupational health and virology, it might be timely to review and recalibrate the teaching hours of these subjects in all the medical curricula, to better prepare our doctors facing the challenges of future epidemics and pandemics.Keywords: pandemic, infectious diseases, curriculum revision
Medicine (General), Special aspects of education