Policy Opportunities for Rethinking Virtual Medical Education; [هتصرفی ایسیراذگتسایاربیشیدنازابردشزومآیزاجمیکشزپ] Publisher

Summary: What should medical schools keep from pandemic-era online learning? A policy review proposes blended courses, better platforms and revised exams. #MedicalEducation #DigitalLearning

Yousefian Arani N ; Avizhgan M
Source: Journal of Isfahan Medical School Published:2026

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic affected public health and individual well-being and transformed face-to-face university education. As a result, virtual and electronic education was operationalized and widely integrated into educational systems and medical education. Based on the findings of a qualitative study aimed at identifying the opportunities of virtual education from the perspective of general medical students, this policy brief was developed. The findings showed that, from the students’ perspective, virtual education created opportunities at three levels: infrastructural, educational, and individual. At the infrastructural level, the most important achievements were the disruption of the traditional classroom model, increased use of technology, strengthening of virtual education platforms, and easier management of educational processes. At the educational level, flexibility in time and place of learning, the emergence of new forms of assessment, and the promotion of academic self-directed learning were identified as important opportunities. At the individual level, saving time, reducing some psychological pressures, and lowering commuting and accommodation costs were among the positive outcomes of virtual education. In order to make optimal use of the opportunities created by virtual education, and in consultation with experts, five policy options were designed and analyzed: integrating virtual and blended education into the official medical education curriculum, strengthening and standardizing virtual education platforms, redesigning the assessment and examination system in the virtual environment, supporting students’ self-directed learning and academic flexibility, and reducing educational costs while using resources more efficiently. On this basis, virtual education can affect both the quality of students’ education and quality of life, and may serve as a foundation for revising medical education policies and developing blended and flexible educational models in the future. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.