A group of 15 medical education faculty trainees from universities and medical centers in the middle and western regions of China was scheduled to arrive in Omaha on December 28, 2015. However, upon arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, they discovered that their connecting flights had been cancelled one by one. They wound up spending two nights in Chicago before they could catch a flight. When they arrived to Omaha, however, it was clear that neither the delays nor the snow could dampen their enthusiasm.
This group is the second group of China Scholarship Council faculty to receive medical education training at UNMC. While here they will observe classes in the medical school and meet with UNMC faculty. Their goal is not to learn the content of medical courses; they all have advanced degrees in their fields. Instead, they will learn about pedagogical techniques employed at UNMC. This medical education training program is part of an ongoing collaboration between UNMC and the China Scholarship Council (CSC).
Participants in the first group of trainees, who graduated in November, were impressed by simulations and Problem-Based Learning. They hope to incorporate similar instructional techniques into their classes at their home institutions. The second group will study at UNMC for three months.