Preparing for the future of medical education over the next five years: the key recommendations of an expert panel

Heraclitus, the Ancient Greek philosopher, stated that “everything flows, nothing stands still”. This quotation highlights the constant evolution, and some would say revolution, in technological, social and scientific developments. In response to these evolving trends, medical education will also need to evolve if it is to be ‘fit for purpose’. This evolution will require academic and institutional renewal, and strategic planning is an essential process for this effective evolution and renewal. Strategic planning is a two stage organisational development process in which first, a clear vision is developed to predict future external conditions and this vision is used to create several recommendations for changes that will be required to effectively respond to future conditions; and second, the implementation of the proposed changes, including evaluation and modification to ensure that the changes are being effective to the evolving external conditions.
In this article, we present several key recommendations that can serve as a practical guide for medical educators in shaping their strategic plans for providing medical education over the next five years.