Podcast: What Is the Future of Medical Education?

New technologies, policy shifts, heightened inequities, increased demand, and the COVID-19 pandemic have transformed health care. It is of paramount importance that the education and training of future physicians also evolve.

David Skorton, M.D., president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and Alison Whelan, M.D., chief academic officer of the AAMC, join on the latest episode of Inside U Miami Medicine to discuss the current medical education landscape and strategies to improve the learning environment.

“We have some problems we’re trying to solve, and we need to think outside of the box,” said Dr. Skorton.

Drs. Skorton and Whelan also discussed the challenges the AAMC faced during the pandemic, and how the organization guided the academic medicine community by implementing guidelines, shaping policy, and advocating for frontline workers.

“The way that we led was truly by connecting with the people on the ground, whether it was in the clinical space or the education space,” said Dr. Whelan. “We had the privilege of listening to them, and then having the brain space to step back and come out with guidelines.”

They also discussed their individual journeys to becoming leaders at the AAMC (Dr. Skorton dreamed of becoming a session musician in Los Angeles), how we can be better prepared for the next pandemic, and opportunities for enhancing medical education. Listen to part one of this fascinating conversation with the leaders of the nation’s academic health care community.

Tags: AAMC, Association of American Medical Colleges, Dean Henri Ford, Dr. Alison Whelan, Dr. David Skorton, Henri Ford, Inside U Miami Medicine podcast