Change management ; Medical education ; Conflict ; Dean
Abstract
Every medical school aims to provide better education, and it sometimes requires changing the current education system.
However, an attempt for a change may not always be successful. In many cases, it is so not because an intended change
was not properly directed but because conflicts in the process of adopting the change were not properly handled. This paper
suggests seven points for how to successfully bring a change in medical education. First, the medical education should not
simply focus on the pass rate of the national medical examination but also on the cultivation of creative leaders. Second, the
faculty of medical school should be creative, self-motivated, and passionate. Third, people in charge of an intended change
should have a good understanding of complicated dynamics between the dean’s office, medical education experts, professors,
and students. Fourth, people who are leading the change should also grasp the possibility that a well-intended change
might not be well-received by professors, students, and dean due to their tendency to be complacent with the current system.
Fifth, a successful introduction of a change requires good teamwork of a thinker, an actor, and a coordinator. Sixth, a change
takes time as it takes place through a step-by-step process. Seventh, an attempt for a change accompanies a negotiation with
professors with different thoughts and views regarding education, and people who want a change need to be flexible in that
negotiation. In addition to these seven points, people who are responsible for a change should be consistent and consider the
renown of the school