The New Face of Education - Essay Example

After reading the article by Birchard (2013), the only concern I have had is in relation to funding. Although it is stated that the department will not be asking for government funding, I still have some doubts as to whether or not this will be possible considering the fact that it should be a long term, and possibly permanent approach to medical education. At some point, the department will need help to deal with an increasing number of students, some of whom will have accumulated from the number that fails to showcase competency during their supposed last year in college.

Aside from that, I agree with the argument that the medical world needs this approach, more than the time based approach (Birchard, 2013). This is because it ensures that the students who are released to practice on actual patients without supervision are highly qualified (Yadlapati, Keswani & Pandolfino, 2016). The fact that it also assesses for other skills such as communication makes it even better than the time based approach which would probably lead to the release of students who have no idea what is expected of them in the real medical world.

However, it is essential to note that some skills require time to master. Therefore, as long as the student showcases basic skill and knowledge, it can be used as a sign that more can be gained through experience in the field (Birchard, 2013). Also, different students have varying capabilities. Some students are slow learners. However, the competency based approach ensures that students grasp the basic concepts before they can graduate (Yadlapati, Keswani & Pandolfino, 2016). It removes any room for possible errors during medical practice.

The educational institutions will be impacted by this approach as they will have to implement strict rules and take steps to ensure the students are actually gaining from the lessons. An institution which retains a majority of students may also be dubbed as ineffective in its role, hence reflective negatively to the public.

Foreign professionals will be impacted in the sense that some who have the skill and competency will graduate much faster than those without. This is because they will be able to showcase the required competency during assessment with much ease than those who have never had to practice.

This approach is going to improve medical practice and the quality of services offered to patients. It has more advantages than the traditional time based approach, which is why it is preferred.

References

Birchard, K. (2013). Medical Education in Canada Moves to a Competency-Based Approach. Retrieved from https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/medical-education-competency-based/Yadlapati, R., Keswani, R. N., & Pandolfino, J. E. (2016). Competency based medical education in gastrointestinal motility. Neurogastroenterology & Motility, 28(10), 1460-1464. doi:10.1111/nmo.12835