Epic helps plans for the world's first virtual medical
school
Representatives of over 50 medical institutes from Australia to
the USA gather in June in St Andrews, Scotland to firm up their
plans for the world's first international virtual medical schools
(IVIMEDS).
The Scots-led initiative aims to bring the new learning technologies
to bear in providing tomorrow's health professionals with access
to the best of international expertise wherever and whenever they
choose to train. The congress marks the conclusion of a feasibility
study carried out with the aid of Epic Group plc, Europe's leading
developer of e-learning programmes. Epic's consulting division has
provided the business case for the venture, which is the first of
its kind to have been collaborated in by so many of the world's
leading health educators.
Sir Alan Langlands, former chief executive of the NHS in England
and Principal of the University of Dundee which has been a key instigator
of IVIMEDS, believes the partners are on the threshold of a new
global style of medical education: 'The concept of an international
virtual medical school is a very exciting development with enormous
potential to benefit patients in both developing and developed countries
through giving health professionals easy and flexible access to
the best medical expertise in the world, no matter where they are
based. We are enormously encouraged by the overwhelming international
response to the project and delighted to see so many of the world's
leading medical schools and institutions gather in Scotland to take
it to the next stage.'
Donald Clark, CEO of Epic Group plc, said: 'E-learning has had
significant impact on higher education. But there is one area in
which it has particular potential - that is, medical education.
IVIMEDS is by far the most significant initiative in this area.'
The list of partners includes Harvard Medical International, Mayo
Clinic Medical School, Miami medical schools and other universities
in the USA and Canada; universities in Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Germany, New Zealand, Australia, South America, Bahrain and the
UK - including Scotland's five medical schools as well as the new
NHS university and e-learning representatives.
Discussions between the collaborators have so-far largely been
web-based, but over the two days of meetings and workshops, based
at the St Andrews Bay Hotel, the 100 delegates hope to lay the foundations
for the future medical school.
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