January in this issue

Abstract

This paper offers a novel conceptual framework outlining factors that are critical for successfully establishing new medical schools in medically under-served areas and beyond. The authors note that establishing a medical school is a significant venture involving many complex and multi-faceted considerations, yet there is limited research and theory available to guide leaders and stakeholders engaged in the process. In this original research, critical realist ways of knowing are adopted, underpinned by emphasis on social accountability, to examine case study medical schools across three continents. Institutional Entrepreneurship theory is then adapted from the business domain to derive the ‘Eight C's Framework’.

Kirubakaran, S, Kumar, K, Worley, P, Pimlott, J, Greenhill, J. Establishing new medical schools in diverse contexts: a novel conceptual framework for success. Med Educ. 2025; 59(1): 25-36. doi:10.1111/medu.15421.

Online learning offers opportunities to expand equitable access to medical education worldwide but risks deepening digital inequalities between the global North and South. This cross-cultural dialogue examines the historical underrepresentation of the global South in designing online medical education, highlighting resulting challenges and proposing solutions. Barriers include socioeconomic disparities and systemic digital inequalities rooted in Northern dominance. The absence of Southern perspectives limits the relevance and sustainability of digital learning tools. The authors advocate for equitable partnerships that prioritize local input and expertise while balancing global standards with local needs, aiming to create more inclusive and effective online education for diverse populations.

Han, SP, Kumwenda, B. Bridging the digital divide: promoting equal access to online learning in an unequal world. Med Educ. 2025; 59(1): 56-64, doi:10.1111/medu.15455.

This article explores inclusive assessment in health professions education by integrating diverse perspectives from three countries. It highlights the importance of fostering an inclusive assessment culture for equitable education while addressing challenges such as misconceptions about lowering standards, concerns over reliability, and the vague definition of inclusion. The authors emphasize the need to recognize intersectionality in designing assessments and propose practical considerations for health professional education practitioners. These suggestions span global, national, institutional, programmatic, and individual levels, aiming to guide the development of well-contextualized, inclusive assessment practices applicable across the educational continuum.

Finn, G, Tai, J, Nadarajah, V. Inclusive assessment in health professions education: balancing global goals and local contexts. Med Educ. 2025; 59(1): 88-96, doi:10.1111/medu.15535.

Medical curricula often perpetuate epistemic violence through white supremacy, Indigenous erasure, and heteronormativity, shaped by Western ideologies. This article critiques these systemic issues and advocates for alternative approaches inspired by Global South and Indigenous knowledge systems. Drawing on Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy and Irihapeti Ramsden's cultural safety, the authors emphasize fostering critical consciousness, addressing power dynamics, and acknowledging historical trauma. Incorporating Ubuntu, a Southern African philosophy of collective humanity, they propose a rights-based, solidarity-driven curriculum. By integrating critical pedagogies of love and discomfort, they aim to create a medical education system rooted in shared humanity and cultural understanding.

Razack, S, Richardson, L, Pillay, SR. The violence of curriculum: dismantling systemic racism, Coloniality, and indigenous erasure within the knowledge Systems of Health Professions Education. Med Educ. 2025; 59(1): 114-123, doi:10.1111/medu.15470 .