Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent social distancing measures caused unprecedented disruption for medical and healthcare education. This study examined medical teachers’ experience with emergency remote teaching during the pandemic and their acceptance of online teaching after the pandemic. Methods In this sequential mixed methods study, online surveys were disseminated to teachers (n = 139) at two Asia–Pacific medical schools to evaluate their experience with emergency remote teaching during the pandemic. Subsequently, in-depth interviews were conducted with teachers from both institutions (n = 13). Each interviewee was classified into an adopter category based on Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory. Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically, and the descriptive themes were mapped to broader themes partly based on the Technology Acceptance Model and these included: (i) perceived usefulness of online teaching, (ii) perceived ease of delivering online teaching, (iii) experience with institutional support and (iv) acceptance of online teaching after the pandemic. Results Our participants described accounts of successes with their emergency remote teaching and difficulties they experienced. In general, most participants found it difficult to deliver clinical skills teaching remotely and manage large groups of students in synchronous online classes. With regards to institutional support, teachers with lower technological literacy required just-in-time technical support, while teachers who were innovative in their online teaching practices found that IT support alone could not fully address their needs. It was also found that teachers’ acceptance of online teaching after the pandemic was influenced by their belief about the usefulness of online teaching. Conclusions This study demonstrated that our participants managed to adapt to emergency remote teaching during this pandemic, and it also identified a myriad of drivers and blockers to online teaching adoption for medical teachers. It highlights the need for institutes to better support their teaching staff with diverse needs in their online teaching.

Education in Hong Kong was shifted online on an abrupt and massive scale as the city faced unprecedented disruptions, first from social unrest in 2019 and then again with the COVID-19 pandemic. Concurrent modernization initiatives since early 2019 in The University of Hong Kong's Medical Faculty (HKUMed), conferred a fortuitous head start for this rapid change. Pre-clinical and clinical teaching were restructured for online delivery through elearning solutions for didactic teaching, and new innovative approaches were developed to convert bedside to "webside" teaching. E-learning in the current circumstances provided necessary social distancing while being pedagogically sound. Students were also able to develop key communication and collaboration skills via online platforms, developing digital skills critical to their future profession. However, unforeseen issues including socioeconomic inequality, privacy concerns, and social isolation became apparent and should be addressed as medical education progresses further down the digital path. The goal must entail a sustainable and scholarly approach towards optimizing medical education in an increasingly online environment. This will help safeguard the medical curriculum against disruption and empower future medical professionals for tomorrow's practice. Here, we share experiences and perspectives from educators in a global city characterised by land scarcity and income inequality.