Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed significant challenges on medical education worldwide, particularly in experience- and resource-limited regions of the world. Collaborative efforts of educators and academic institutions are necessary to facilitate the adaptation to the new educational reality. In this study, challenges and outcomes of a newly implemented distance education curriculum are examined to share findings and provide recommendations. Methods An alternative distance education curriculum with online resources and virtual lectures was developed and implemented in February 2020 at the Wasit University College of Medicine in Iraq. A post-implementation survey was developed for both faculty instructors and students to evaluate the program's effectiveness and perception. Results were compared between both groups. The study was approved by the University's Dean and exempted by the research committee for anonymity. Results A total of 636 students and 81 instructors were surveyed. Approximately 33% of students and 51% of instructors found online education equivalent or superior to traditional face-to-face teaching methods. Almost 69% of students and 51% of instructors reported increased difficulties with virtual learning, primarily due to challenges with the available technology, unreliable internet connectivity, as well as perceive fatigue when listening to online lectures. Conclusions Distance education provides a worthwhile alternative during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in regions of limited experience. Adequate preparation, good quality audio-visuals and Internet, and student engagement activities are recommended to improve the quality of education.

Students often feel overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of knowledge and skills required to learn. Along with this challange, educational technology has been gradually introduced in medical education to facilitate learning and improve outcomes. It became an essential part of communication, storing and transferring information, audio-visual media use and production, and knowledge sharing. Technology's role has been expanding from a mere tool of study and inquiry to an approach and integrated use in education. Its use in medical education is continuously evolving. However, the impact and optimal use of various technology applications are not clearly defined. There are multiple challenges facing educators to choose the right application for the specific educational purpose. Hence, studies and evaluation reviews are needed to inform the better-defined use of educational technology. This review aims to discuss and evaluate various educational technology applications in medical education, focusing on interactive learning during lectures. Lectures and other group learning sessions are common activities used by medical schools. Promoting interactive learning in large groups is known to be challenging. The advances in technology to facilitate communication and promote interaction is a promising adjunct for lectures interactivity.

Tuma et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Academic clinicians have high expectations to meet in their academic institutions. Accomplishments are to be expected in multiple domains for their positions' sustainability and promotions. In addition to excelling in their clinical practice, they are expected to maintain productive scholarly activities and meet the required educational and administrative responsibilities. Striking a balance between clinical, educational, research, and administrative duties is highly challenging and could lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout. Lately, the ever-growing patient population, competitive academic environment, and resident work hour restrictions have led to increased strain and demand on academic physicians and predisposing them to burnout. Despite the numerous studies looking at burnout in various professions, fewer studies have looked at burnout, specifically in clinical faculty members. Little is known about academic job satisfaction, stress, and rates of burnout, or how these factors affect scholarly success and productivity. Clinician faculty educators may be at significant risk of burnout. There is some evidence that clinically burned-out faculty had less confidence in their teaching skills and had fewer lifelong learning habits. These results suggest that burnout may influence not only the quality of care but also the quality of training provided to others.

Radiotherapy (RT) is a treatment modality that uses high-energy rays or radioactive agents to generate ionizing radiation against rapidly dividing cells. The main objective of using radiation in cancer therapy is to impair or halt the division of the tumor cells. Over the past few decades, advancements in technology, the introduction of newer methods of RT, and a better understanding of the pathophysiology of cancers have enabled physicians to deliver doses of radiation that match the exact dimensions of the tumor for greater efficacy, with minimal exposure of the surrounding tissues. However, RT has numerous complications, the most common being radiation proctitis (RP). It is characterized by damage to the rectal epithelium by secondary ionizing radiation. Based on the onset of signs and symptoms, post-radiotherapy RP can be classified as acute or chronic, each with varying levels of severity and complication rates. The treatment options available for RP are limited, with most of the data on treatment available from case reports or small studies. Here, we describe the types of RT used in modern-day medicine and radiation-mediated tissue injury. We have primarily focused on the classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, treatment strategies, complications, and prognosis of RP.