Mega-evolutions in medical education: Helpful or harmful to higher cognitive skill development?
Developing higher cognitive skills is a way to prepare future physicians to be effective
Medicine is practiced in environments of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and disruption (VUCAD). Medical educators are tasked with providing an education that prepares graduates to successfully practice medicine in those types of environments. While medical education is continually evolving to incorporate new content and educational approaches, there are two mega-evolutions that have permeated medical education: increased curricular structure and content integration. Structure and integration are assumed to be positive changes; however, they may alter the development of higher cognitive skills.
