The Bau Institute of Medical and Health Sciences Education and the School of Public Health are delighted to invite you to join our seminar on "Community Engagement in Health Professions Education".
Date:                  August 1, 2016 (Monday)
Time:                 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Venue:               Mrs Chen Yang Foo Oi Telemedicine Centre,
                            2/F, William MW Mong Block, Faculty of Medicine Building
Speaker:           Professor Roger Strasser AM, Dean and CEO,
                            Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Lakehead and Laurentian Universities, Canada
Registration:   https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=44965

Abstract
“Community” has featured in the discourse about medical education for over half a century. This discourse has explored relationships between medical education programs and communities in community-oriented medical education and community-based medical education and, in recent years, has extended to community-engaged medical education (CEME). This Perspective explores the developing focus on “community” in medical education, describes CEME as a concept, and presents examples of CEME in action at Flinders University School of Medicine (Australia), the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (Canada), and Ateneo de Zamboanga University School of Medicine (Philippines).

The authors describe the ways in which CEME, which features active community participation, can improve medical education while meeting community needs and advancing national and international health equity agendas. They suggest that CEME can redefine student learning as taking place at the center of the partnership between communities and medical schools. They also consider the challenges of CEME and caution that criteria for community engagement must be sensitive to cultural variations and to the nature of the social contract in different sociocultural settings.

The authors argue that CEME is effective in producing physicians who choose to practice in rural and underserved areas. Further research is required to demonstrate that CEME contributes to improved health, and ultimately health equity, for the populations served by the medical school.

About the speaker
Professor Roger Strasser is a leader in the global reform of health professional education. Recognizing the importance of context and community in medical education and research, Professor Strasser has gained an international reputation for developing and refining novel strategies to train health professionals in and for rural communities. As a result of his formative work in his field, Professor Strasser has become one of the world's foremost authorities in rural, socially accountable medical education, as well as a sought-after speaker and advisor.

Prior to moving to Northern Ontario in 2002, Roger Strasser was Professor of Rural Health and Head of the Monash University School of Rural Health in Australia and had an international role with the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) as Chair of the Working Party on Rural Practice from 1992-2004. 

Sandwiches and light refreshments will be served at the workshop. For more information, please contact Mr Derek Lam at ltdlam@hku.hk.