A SWOT analysis of medical school adaptations to COVID-19: A national survey of deans in Taiwan

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic forced medical schools worldwide to transition online. While there are ample reports about medical education adaptations to this crisis, there are limited studies evaluating the impact. Methods: This study includes a case study of how Taiwanese medical school deans maintained in-person education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it demonstrates how SWOT analyses can help medical educators reflect on adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic and future crises. This study employed two online surveys and a semi-structured interview regarding curricular adaptations. Eligible participants were deans or associate deans of all medical schools in Taiwan. Results: Through a SWOT analysis, this study identified Strengths as strong leadership, prior experience with SARS, and ability to promptly adapt curriculum; Weaknesses as lack of faculty confidence in online education, limited numbers of administrative staff, and inability to rapidly add new topics; Opportunities as centralised anti-epidemic policies, inter-institutional collaborations, and educational innovations; and Threats as concerns from parents, patients, and teaching hospitals. It is reported that the quality of education was maintained as students’ evaluations of courses, performances in written exams, clerkship supervisors’ assessments, national OSCE, and national board exams remained comparable to pre-COVID times. Strengths and Opportunities such as strong leadership and centralised anti-epidemic policies can overcome Weaknesses and Threats, such as lack of confidence in online education and familial pressure to suspend hospital-based education. Conclusion: This study recommends that medical school leaders conduct SWOT analyses as early as possible to plan strategies to continue safe and quality medical education during COVID-19 and future crises.