On-line medical school announced in "watershed moment"

An ambitious Scotland-initiated venture, which will radically change the education of tomorrow's doctors across the globe, has attracted the international support it needs to make the plans a reality - including the backing of one of former USA President Bill Clinton's key advisers.

The launch of the world's first international virtual medical school, IVIMEDS, will be announced on Monday 10 Feb at the World eLearning Conference 2003 at The Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

President of the University of Miami Donna Shalala, who became the longest serving Secretary of Health and Human Services in US history after her appointment by President Clinton in 1993, has agreed to join the development board of IVIMEDS.

Elements of the first courses will be pioneered from August 2003 by students at Hull York Medical School in the UK. The first students enrolled in IVIMEDS will start their studies in August 2004.

The virtual school will allow students around the world to pursue a medical education through a combination of e-learning and clinical experience in local health facilities. It means that wherever they are studying - from the most remote and underdeveloped areas to high tech cities - they will have access to the best of international expertise across the range of specialisms.

Thirty of the world's leading medical schools from the University of Miami to the University of Queensland, Australia have joined as partners in taking forward the groundbreaking venture which will enrol its first students in 2004.

A handful of key professional bodies have also signed up to the scheme, including the National Board of Medical Examiners in the USA. Others are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

Led by the University of Dundee, the project now has partners in Germany, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Hong Kong, China, Syria, Malaysia and Australia as well as the USA and the UK where it has gained the support of all the Scottish medical schools.

The partners have appointed their first Director of Education. He is Professor Ronald Harden who was awarded the OBE in the recent New Years Honours list for his services to international medical education having led the Centre for Medical Education at the University of Dundee for 30 years.

He said: "It is no exaggeration to say that announcing the go-ahead of the international virtual medical school constitutes a historic moment for global medical education. In 10 years, when people look back at how health professionals trained across the world, the launching of IVIMEDS will be seen as a watershed.

"Its blending of the best of e-technology and face-to-face delivery could provide the cost effective answer to a range of problems including shortage of trained doctors, widening access to the profession across cultural and academic boundaries and, for rural communities, conquering the 'tyranny of distance' that discourages those with potential from going away to train."

With the first pledges of over $1 million now received from the medical schools for the scheme the scene is set for raising funds from other sources and getting to work priority areas including developing the curriculum and courses, student support systems, and assessment.

The development costs for the next stage of IVIMEDS will be shared between the partner institutions and additional support will be raised from governments, government agencies, health systems and charitable trusts and foundations. Income will be drawn from the sale of learning and curriculum resources and medical student fees.

An IVIMEDS Foundation Board will be constituted with representation from healthcare stakeholders in developed and developing countries. It will formulate the strategy for access to and provision of the IVIMEDS programme to healthcare systems and academic institutions in developing countries.

By Carol Pope, Head of Press 01382 348342 c.l.e.pope@dundee.ac.uk