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2 . 2018

Community-based approach in medical education: prospects and problems of its introduction

Abstract

The concept of the community-based learning in medical education appeared in 1970-1980's and was introduced in medical schools. Community-based medical education is the medical education focusing on population groups and individuals living in the certain area and considering their healthcare needs. The aim of the community-based approach is to train physicians who are able and want to work in the communities and to be effective in dealing with health problems on any level of medical services. Community-based learning has important advantages providing students adequate experience of real health conditions in the population, opportunities of teamwork with other healthcare professionals, and understanding of the role of social factors and causal relationships in disease development. New community-based programs for medical students may reduce the gap between community and medical school needs, increase attention to ethnical, cultural and language differences in population groups, and promote collaboration among all involved parties. Significant outcomes of community-based approach in medical education are expected, such as transfer from theory to practice, communication with larger number of patients and healthcare specialists, expanding students' ideas on medical interventions, increased interprofessional cooperation, attraction of larger number of graduates to work in rural areas, and providing experience of developing effective relationships between professionals and community. Institutional barriers to introduce the community-based approach may be associated with the fear of loosing control and comfortable conditions of teaching and consideration of educational innovations to be time, money and resource consuming. However the inevitable part of medical education is its introduction in the community.

Keywords:educational program, medical school, public healthcare, health orientation, general practitioner, interprofessional group

Medical Education and Professional Development. 2018; (2): 112–123. doi: 10.24411/2220-8453-2018-12007.

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CHIEF EDITOR
CHIEF EDITOR
Balkizov Zalim Zamirovich
Secretary General of the Russian Society of Medical Education Specialists, Director of the Institute of Training of Medical Education Specialists of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuing Professional Education, 125993, Moscow, Russian Federation, Professor of the Department of Vocational Education and Educational Technologies of the N.I. Pirogov RNIMU of the MOH of Russia, CEO of GEOTAR-Med, Advisor President of the National Medical Chamber, Moscow, Russian Federation

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