Cross-Country Student Perceptions about Online Medical Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tomoya Suzuki, Anju Murayama, Yasuhiro Kotera, Divya Bhandari, Yuki Senoo, Yuta Tani, Kayo Harada, Ayumu Kawamoto, Satomi Sato, Toyoaki Sawano, Yasushi Miyata, Masaharu Tsubokura, Tetsuya Tanimoto and Akihiko Ozaki
Additional contact information
Tomoya Suzuki: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Anju Murayama: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Yasuhiro Kotera: School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK
Divya Bhandari: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Yuki Senoo: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Yuta Tani: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Kayo Harada: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Ayumu Kawamoto: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Satomi Sato: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Toyoaki Sawano: Department of Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki 9728322, Japan
Yasushi Miyata: Department of Primary Care and Community Health, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute 4801195, Japan
Masaharu Tsubokura: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Tetsuya Tanimoto: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan
Akihiko Ozaki: Medical Governance Research Institute, Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo 1087505, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 5, 1-10

Abstract: (1) Introduction: Most educational institutions around the world have shifted from traditional face-to-face to online education amid COVID-19. This change may particularly impact medical students, whose education is heavily influenced by clinical learning experiences. Accordingly, we investigated medical students’ perceptions about positive and negative aspects of online medical education in Japan and overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: In-depth online interviews were conducted among 13 Japanese medical students and five medical students from Slovakia, Norway, and Hungary. Interviews were conducted from 23rd September to 3rd October 2020 using the snowball sampling method. Questions were focused on five main areas: Q1 the type of online education; Q2 advantages and disadvantages of online education; Q3 any changes in the relationship with teachers, friends, and family; Q4 any opinions about further improvements in online education; and Q5 any needs for affiliation with a particular university. Then thematic analysis was conducted. (3) Results: The results of the thematic analysis revealed the following four themes that represent the positive and negative aspects of online medical education; Theme 1: Timesaving and Flexibility; Theme 2: Technical problems and lack of digital skills; Theme 3: Unstandardized teaching skills; Theme 4: Lack of experience beyond medical school lectures. (4) Conclusions: While online education was found useful in terms of saving time and creating a flexible learning environment, many important drawbacks were noted such as internet and computer problems and unstandardized teaching skills, and lack of quality assurance. In addition, experiences outside the classroom such as making relationships with faculty and friends, conducting research and participating in extracurricular activities were missed, which they normally enjoy in college life.

Keywords: undergraduate; COVID-19; pandemic; medical education; SARS-CoV-2; distance-learning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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