Exploring stakeholder perspectives on medical education quality and innovative approaches to training healthcare professionals
What if the very system designed to train our future doctors is struggling to prepare them for real medical practice? This isn't just a theoretical question—it's the pressing reality that medical education stakeholders across Bangladesh are confronting.
The concept of "stakeholders" in education encompasses everyone who participates in, is affected by, or contributes to the educational process 4 . In medical education, this includes students, teachers, hospital administrators, healthcare policymakers, and—ultimately—the patients who will be treated by these future doctors.
Understanding these diverse perspectives is essential for improving medical training systems that must balance theoretical knowledge with practical skills, resource constraints with quality standards, and traditional methods with innovative approaches 4 .
Medical education quality directly impacts healthcare for Bangladesh's population
Significant gaps between textbook knowledge and clinical practice
Promising approaches emerging from stakeholder research
A comprehensive 2018-2019 study examining eight medical colleges captured the views of 576 stakeholders 3 .
The revealing insights about medical education quality emerged from a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from July 2018 to June 2019 across a representative sample of Bangladeshi medical colleges 3 .
Researchers employed three distinct data collection instruments to gather quantitative and qualitative information 3 :
Distributed to 440 fifth-year medical students
Completed by 114 clinical faculty members
Conducted with 22 key informants and administrators
The data revealed consistent patterns across institutions and stakeholder groups:
| Participant Category | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth-year Medical Students | 440 | 76.4% |
| Clinical Teachers | 114 | 19.8% |
| Key Informants/Administrators | 22 | 3.8% |
| Total | 576 | 100% |
Both staff and infrastructure identified as insufficient for optimal medical training 3
Critical gaps in transition from basic clinical tasks to diagnostic reasoning 3
Neglect of evening clinical teaching sessions limiting comprehensive training 3
Connecting basic sciences with clinical applications throughout the medical curriculum.
A 2023 study conducted at Ad-din Women's Medical College Hospital demonstrated the potential of this method 7 .
Based on stakeholder input, researchers have proposed specific changes to strengthen medical education 3 7 :
| Research Component | Function in Medical Education Research |
|---|---|
| Structured Questionnaires | Standardized data collection from students and faculty across multiple institutions |
| In-depth Interview Protocols | Gathering rich qualitative data from administrators and key decision-makers |
| Integrated Teaching Modules | Combining basic sciences with clinical applications to enhance learning |
| Simulated Patient Scenarios | Allowing students to practice diagnostic and communication skills in safe environments |
| Skills Assessment Checklists | Objectively measuring clinical competency development across different domains |
| Curriculum Mapping Tools | Identifying redundancies and gaps in educational content across subjects |
Structured surveys and statistical analysis provide measurable data on educational outcomes.
In-depth interviews and focus groups capture nuanced perspectives and contextual factors.
Identifying recurring patterns in stakeholder feedback
Detailed examination of specific institutional approaches
Direct observation of teaching and learning practices
The stakeholder perspectives on medical education in Bangladesh reveal a system at a crossroads—grappling with resource constraints and curricular limitations while simultaneously embracing innovative approaches like integrated teaching 3 7 .
Requires coordinated efforts from all stakeholders: adequate resource allocation from policymakers, curriculum modernization from educators, and engagement from students in their own learning process.
The challenge of balancing theoretical knowledge with practical skills, the tension between traditional methods and innovative approaches are universal issues in medical education 4 .
"The ultimate goal is ensuring that teachers could ensure students' learning of optimum skills and attitude" 3 .
By listening to and synthesizing the views of all stakeholders, medical education in Bangladesh can continue evolving to produce doctors who are not only knowledgeable but also compassionate, responsive, and equipped to meet the healthcare challenges of the 21st century.
The diagnosis is clear; the treatment plan is emerging; now comes the critical work of implementation and follow-up. For the sake of future doctors and their patients, this is one prescription that must be filled.