JMIR Medical Education
Technology, innovation, and openness in medical education in the information age..
Blake J. Lesselroth, MD MBI FACP FAMIA, University of Oklahoma | OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center; University of Victoria, British Columbia
JMIR Medical Education (JME, ISSN: 2369-3762, Impact Factor 3.6 ) is an open access, PubMed-indexed, peer-reviewed journal focusing on technology, innovation, and openness in medical education.This includes e-learning and virtual training, which has gained critical relevance in the (post-)COVID world. Another focus is on how to train health professionals to use digital tools. We publish original research, reviews, viewpoint, and policy papers on innovation and technology in medical education. As an open access journal, we have a special interest in open and free tools and digital learning objects for medical education and urge authors to make their tools and learning objects freely available (we may also publish them as a Multimedia Appendix). We also invite submissions of non-conventional articles (e.g., open medical education material and software resources that are not yet evaluated but free for others to use/implement).
In our " Students' Corner ," we invite students and trainees from various health professions to submit short essays and viewpoints on all aspects of medical education, particularly suggestions on improving medical education and suggestions for new technologies, applications, and approaches.
In 2023, JMIR Medical Education received an inaugural Journal Impact Factor™ of 3.6 (Source: Journal Citation Reports™ from Clarivate, 2023). The journal is indexed in MEDLINE, PubMed , PubMed Central , Scopus , DOAJ , and the Emerging Sources Citation Index (Clarivate) .
Recent Articles
Carers often assume key roles in cancer care. However, many carers report feeling disempowered and ill‐equipped to support patients. Our group published evidence-based guidelines (the Triadic Oncology [TRIO] Guidelines) to improve oncology clinician engagement with carers and the management of challenging situations involving carers.
Digital health has been taught at medical faculties for a few years. However, in general, the teaching of digital competencies in medical education and training is still underrepresented.
During health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages of health care workers often occur. Recruiting students as volunteers could be an option, but it is uncertain whether the idea is well-accepted.
Despite the increasing relevance of statistics in health sciences, teaching styles in higher education are remarkably similar across disciplines: lectures covering the theory and methods, followed by application and computer exercises in given data sets. This often leads to challenges for students in comprehending fundamental statistical concepts essential for medical research. To address these challenges, we propose an engaging learning approach—DICE (design, interpret, compute, estimate)—aimed at enhancing the learning experience of statistics in public health and epidemiology. In introducing DICE, we guide readers through a practical example. Students will work in small groups to plan, generate, analyze, interpret, and communicate their own scientific investigation with simulations. With a focus on fundamental statistical concepts such as sampling variability, error probabilities, and the construction of statistical models, DICE offers a promising approach to learning how to combine substantive medical knowledge and statistical concepts. The materials in this paper, including the computer code, can be readily used as a hands-on tool for both teachers and students.
ChatGPT (OpenAI), a cutting-edge natural language processing model, holds immense promise for revolutionizing medical education. With its remarkable performance in language-related tasks, ChatGPT offers personalized and efficient learning experiences for medical students and doctors. Through training, it enhances clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, leading to improved case analysis and diagnosis. The model facilitates simulated dialogues, intelligent tutoring, and automated question-answering, enabling the practical application of medical knowledge. However, integrating ChatGPT into medical education raises ethical and legal concerns. Safeguarding patient data and adhering to data protection regulations are critical. Transparent communication with students, physicians, and patients is essential to ensure their understanding of the technology’s purpose and implications, as well as the potential risks and benefits. Maintaining a balance between personalized learning and face-to-face interactions is crucial to avoid hindering critical thinking and communication skills. Despite challenges, ChatGPT offers transformative opportunities. Integrating it with problem-based learning, team-based learning, and case-based learning methodologies can further enhance medical education. With proper regulation and supervision, ChatGPT can contribute to a well-rounded learning environment, nurturing skilled and knowledgeable medical professionals ready to tackle health care challenges. By emphasizing ethical considerations and human-centric approaches, ChatGPT’s potential can be fully harnessed in medical education, benefiting both students and patients alike.
Medical history contributes approximately 80% to the diagnosis, although physical examinations and laboratory investigations increase a physician’s confidence in the medical diagnosis. The concept of artificial intelligence (AI) was first proposed more than 70 years ago. Recently, its role in various fields of medicine has grown remarkably. However, no studies have evaluated the importance of patient history in AI-assisted medical diagnosis.
This study describes the development of an electronic portfolio (e-Portfolio) designed to collect and record the overall academic performance throughout the educational journey of medical students, as well as to support narrative of lived experiences and reflections to be shared among students and their mentors.
Undergraduate medical studies represent a panoply of learning opportunities served in the form of various teaching-learning modalities for medical learners. A clinical scenario is frequently employed as a modality, followed by multiple choice and open-ended questions among other learning and teaching methods. As such, script-concordance tests (SCT) can be used to promote higher level of clinical reasoning. Recent technological developments have made generative artificial intelligence-based systems like ChatGPT available to assist clinician-educators in creating instructional materials.
Substance use and overdose deaths make up a substantial portion of injury-related deaths in the United States, with the state of Ohio leading the nation in rates of diagnosed substance use disorder (SUD). Ohio’s growing epidemic has indicated a need to improve SUD care in a primary care setting through the engagement of multidisciplinary providers and the use of a comprehensive approach to care.
Digital competence is listed as one of the key competences for lifelong learning and is increasing in importance not only in private life but also in professional life. There is consensus within the health care sector that digital competence (or digital literacy) is needed in various professional fields. However, it is still unclear what exactly the digital competence of health professionals should include and how it can be measured.
Artificial intelligence models can learn from medical literature and clinical cases and generate answers that rival human experts. However, challenges remain in the analysis of complex data containing images and diagrams.
Preprints Open for Peer-Review
Open Peer Review Period:
April 08, 2024 - June 03, 2024
April 05, 2024 - May 31, 2024
April 02, 2024 - May 28, 2024
April 01, 2024 - May 27, 2024
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Aims and scope
BMC Medical Education does not make editorial decisions on the basis of the interest of a study or its likely impact. Studies must be scientifically valid; for research articles this includes a scientifically sound research question, the use of suitable methods and analysis, and following community-agreed standards relevant to the research field. Specific criteria for other article types can be found in the submission guidelines .
Common topics considered by the journal include research related to:
- Undergraduate students, postgraduate students, residents, medical specialties, formal nursing education, medical professionals continuing education, and students of other health-related professions (if relevant to medical education)
- Medical staff and teaching faculty development
Education delivery:
- Curriculum development, evaluation, implementation, and accreditation
- Assessment of competence and performance
- Evidence-informed education
- Teaching strategies and effectiveness, including innovative teaching methods, technology-based teaching and learning methods, e-learning, medical simulation, and use of AI in medical education
Education topics, such as:
- Clinical competency skills, such as clinical reasoning
- Professionalism
- Ethics of medical practice and academic integrity
- Soft skills education, including consultation and communication skills
- Career choice and career planning
- Recruitment and selection into training programmes
- Interprofessional collaboration and interdisciplinary teamwork
- Well-being of learners, trainees, and health care professionals, stress and burnout management, support strategies
- Medical and health education reforms and policies
Additionally, the journal considers:
- Research on education and educational methods specific to medical education. Studies relevant to other educational communities which could be applied beyond the medical profession, will be considered only if there is a clear implication for the medical field
- Studies with regional relevance will be considered only if the findings contribute to the knowledge of the international audience
- Other studies a clear research component and distinctive insights to the educational community
- Studies on AI tools are welcome as long as there is a clear implication for medical education, however AI- and LLM-specific research using medical education as evaluation models will not be considered.
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The benefit of transparent peer review is that it increases transparency. In addition, published reports can serve an educational purpose in helping facilitate training and research into peer review.
Manuscripts submitted to BMC Medical Education are assessed by our editors and/or peer reviewers. Editor(s) are expected to obtain a minimum of two peer reviewers for manuscripts reporting primary research or secondary analysis of primary research. It is recognized that in some exceptional circumstances, particularly in niche and emerging fields, it may not be possible to obtain two independent peer reviewers. In such cases, Editor(s) may wish to make a decision to publish based on one peer review report. When making a decision based on one report, Editor(s) are expected to only do so if the peer review report meets the standards set out in the Springer Nature Code of Conduct (section Peer-Review). Overall editorial responsibility for the journal is with the Editor. Senior Editorial Board Members of BMC Medical Education handle manuscripts in a broad range of topics within their general areas of expertise, in addition to advising on editorial board and journal development. The Senior Editorial Board is selected based on exceptional contributions to the journal. The Editorial Board Members manage the peer review process and make final decisions on whether papers should be accepted.
BMC Medical Education is part of the BMC series which publishes subject-specific journals focused on the needs of individual research communities across all areas of biology and medicine. We do not make editorial decisions on the basis of the interest of a study or its likely impact. Studies must be scientifically valid; for research articles this includes a scientifically sound research question, the use of suitable methods and analysis, and following community-agreed standards relevant to the research field.
Specific criteria for other article types can be found in the submission guidelines.
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Citing articles in BMC Medical Education
Articles in BMC Medical Education should be cited in the same way as articles in a traditional journal. Because articles are not printed, they do not have page numbers; instead, they are given a unique article number.
Article citations follow this format:
Authors: Title. BMC Med Educ [year], [volume number]:[article number].
e.g. Roberts LD, Hassall DG, Winegar DA, Haselden JN, Nicholls AW, Griffin JL: Increased hepatic oxidative metabolism distinguishes the action of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor delta from Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma in the Ob/Ob mouse. BMC Med Educ 2009, 1: 115.
refers to article 115 from Volume 1 of the journal.
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