Dear Colleague,

 

Momentum is building! We are making headway in stimulating debate about how to better prepare the global health workforce for the 21st century.

 

The big news is the selection of four innovation collaboratives - in Canada, South Africa, Uganda and India - that will pilot some of the ideas for reform from the Lancet report. This initiative is part of the U.S. Institute of Medicine's new Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, spearheaded by Patrick Kelley, MD, DrPH, one of the Lancet report Commissioners. (Story below.)

 

In the meantime, the Lancet Commission report continues to catalyze lively discussions and stimulate critical reflection of new educational strategies and systemic reform among diverse groups. It opens space for the exploration of new possibilities anchored in local realities.

 

Some countries with reform efforts already in progress are planning to implement some aspects of the report's recommendations. One of us (LC) was hosted by Mahidol University President Rajata and shown models of their new 120-acre campus, which will feature undergraduate education of doctors and nurses together. It will have a competency-based curriculum and link the education system with the health system via a general hospital in partnership with provincial hospitals.

 

Another Asia Network country, Vietnam, is also proceeding with plans for health education reform. The five-country network (Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India and China) met on January 26 and will be reviewing the first round of data on the situation analysis in April in India.

 

European countries are also using the report to spur their own reform efforts. Below are stories about meetings hosted in London and in Zurich (representing Austria, Switzerland and Germany) that convened a broad mix of educators, students and policy makers in those countries interested in transforming the education of healthcare professionals.

 

Our advocacy for global reform is important for many reasons. For one, it's a model for the young professionals rising through the ranks. As two physicians-in-training (Robbert Duvivier and Matthew Stull) commented in the 3 December 2011 Lancet, "Only if words are followed by action can universities produce professionals capable of addressing the ever-changing needs of our society."

Best regards,

   

 

Julio Frenk, Dean, Harvard School of Public Health and Commission Co-chair 

 

Lincoln Chen, President, China Medical Board and Commission Co-chair

 

German-speaking Countries Use Report for Their Reform Efforts

Eighty high-ranking experts and policy makers from Switzerland, Austria and Germany came together in February 2012 at the Swiss Re Center on Global Dialogue near Zürich to discuss the Lancet Commission report. The symposium - called the Careum Dialogue - was organized by Careum Foundation, a major Swiss Foundation that is committed to developing innovative approaches to health and care in the 21st century (they translated the Lancet report into German). All three countries are engaged in major health system reforms as well as education reforms. Read more.

Asia Pacific Conference Addresses Transformative Medical Education

Stimulated by the Lancet Commission report, the theme for the 9th Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference held in January 2012 was "Transformative Medical Education for Healthcare Professionals in the 21st Century: Nurturing Lifelong Habits of Mind, Behaviour and Action." Featured as part of the two-day main conference was a presentation of the report findings by Commissioner Jordan J. Cohen, MD, who was impressed with the enthusiasm of the more than 600 attendees at the conference, which was held at the National University of Singapore. Read more.