Historical Precedent

3 Questions

Dr. Yoon Kang, senior associate dean for medical education, with Nicole J. Milano, head, Medical Center Archives, and Dr. Curtis Cole, vice president and chief global information officer for Cornell University, co-wrote “Rapid Response of Medical Education to COVID-19: A Historical Perspective,” a piece that explores Weill Cornell Medicine’s historical response to public health crises.

  1. 1.  Any surprises from your research?

     In 2020, 62% of our class participated in early graduation to serve the New York City community. That had struck us as unique to COVID-19, but it wasn’t at all. During both world wars, we also offered an early graduation option because of the need for an expanded health care workforce. 

  2. 2.  What similarities did you find across historical responses to crises?

    Our responses consistently reflected dedication to our core values of patient care, discovery and teaching. During World War I, we taught medical officers new practices related to fractures and surgery. In World War II, it was tropical medicine and parasitology. Each world event offered the opportunity to do what we do best: serve patients and communities. 

  3. 3.  What curricular adjustments will continue post-COVID?

    The pandemic introduced several silver linings as we reimagined medical education. We will continue to ensure a core competency-based curriculum throughout the continuum of medical school, as well as maintain the flexibility of providing remote content.

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