Globalization and Medical Education

Abstract

Globalization has become an inevitable fact that touched all aspects of life. The phenomenon has affected education at large including medical education. With knowledge, technology, quality and cost effectiveness becoming trademarks of the 21st century social transformation has escalated. The impact of that transformation has resulted in a change of patient relationship with patients changing into customers and treating doctors into health care providers. Those customers are no longer interested in just treatment but in a high quality cost effective treatment. The consequence of that mandates a change in the process of medical education and training process to cope with the use of high tech being currently in use. Looking at the above facts and the prevailing situation of economic hardships and the state of medical service in developing countries the magnitude of the problem could be appreciated. The problem is escalated by the fact that the chances of training in advanced countries are becoming extremely scarce depriving overseas candidates from getting advanced training to disseminate when they return back home. To solve that problem developing countries have to find a solution by first improving health service system, improve undergraduate curricula and the quality of local training programs to a level internationally credible if they intend to survive the impact of globalization. That will not be possible without improving health systems and infrastructures, acquiring a culture and environment for education and professional development, and investing in research and technology.