Background In recent years, the field of medical education has sought to amplify the voices of those from traditionally marginalised groups and medical education journals have sought to become more accessible and diverse. This study sought to examine the gender and geographical representation of editors and editorial board members in medical education journals. Methods Information about individual editors and editorial board members of 10 medical education journals was retrieved from their websites in January 2021, including their gender and the country in which they were based. Countries were categorised according to World Bank Income Classification and World Bank Geographical Regions. We then calculated the Composite Editorial Board Diversity Score for each journal. Findings Of 488 editors and editorial board members, 283 (58.0%) were male, 452 (92.6%) were based in high‐income countries and 322 (66.0%) were from the four countries with greatest representation (the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada). Discussion The composition of medical education journals’ editorial leadership teams remains dominated by males and those from higher income and Western countries. Strikingly, little change has taken place since this was last examined 17 years ago despite the field becoming apparently more globalised. As medical education strives to become a more inclusive and diverse discipline, developing policies to create more globally representative editorial leadership teams should now be an urgent priority.

PurposeFree Open Access Medical Education (FOAMed) is a worldwide social media movement designed to accelerate and democratise the sharing of medical knowledge. This study sought to investigate the content shared through FOAMed during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.Study designTweets containing the #FOAMed hashtag posted during a 24-hour period in April 2020 were studied. Included tweets were analysed using the Wiig knowledge management cycle framework (building knowledge, holding knowledge, pooling knowledge and using knowledge).Results1379 tweets contained the #FOAMed hashtag, of which 265 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Included tweets were posted from 208 distinct users, originated from each world continent and were in five different languages. Three overarching themes were identified: (1) signposting and appraising evidence and guidelines; (2) sharing specialist and technical advice; and (3) personal and social engagement. Among 12 subthemes within these groupings, 11 aligned to one of the four dimensions of the Wiig knowledge management cycle framework, and the other focused on building and managing social networks. Almost 40% of tweets related directly to COVID-19.Conclusion#FOAMed tweets during the COVID-19 pandemic included a broad range of resources, advice and support. Despite the geographical, language and disciplinary variation of contributing users and the lack of organisational structure uniting them, this social media medical community has been able to construct, share and use emerging technical knowledge through a time of extraordinary challenge and uncertainty for the global medical community.

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) printed models are increasingly used in undergraduate anatomy teaching. However, their role and value in anatomy assessment remains under consideration. The aim of this study was to evaluate student and educator perspectives on acceptability of using novel 3D printed heart models for assessment. Methods:We used printed 3D models of the heart for first-year medical students, in small group teaching, formative assessment and revision at home. We adopted a mixed methods approach involving questionnaires, then focus groups to collect student and educator views. We used QSR Nvivo to manage thematic analysis of responses, carried out by student and educators, respectively.Findings: Overall, students 89% (n = 75/84) and educators 91% (n = 10/11) found the assessment acceptable. Thematic analysis of focus groups (n = 4 students, n = 5 educators) identified five key perceptions shared across student and educator groups: 3D models are the future, realism is valued, models appear feasible, consistent and provide a potential for a range of applications in assessment.Discussion: There was agreement between educators and students that the use of 3D heart models was acceptable. Key recognised benefits include accessibility and consistency across settings, made more relevant in the current COVID-19 pandemic.We recommend integration of 3D models into teaching and assessment for educational alignment and careful selection of anatomy to model. Further research is required to explore the use of models in summative assessments. | BACKGROUNDThree-dimensional (3D) printed models are gaining momentum in undergraduate anatomy education. 1 They have been successfully incorporated into anatomy teaching, with the option of allowing students to take the models home. 2 Proponents of the use of 3D model versus preserved anatomical specimens in teaching have cited key advantages, including lack of legal regulations, control over availability and integration into multimodal teaching for improved educational outcomes. 2,3 These advantages extend further to their use in anatomy assessment. As there are no legal restrictions on transport and use, this facilitates assessments taking place in a variety of hospital, university or home settings. The ease of access to readily available assessment tools is made more relevant in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 3D models improve assessment reliability as all students are assessed with the identical model. Candidates can directly handle and annotate the model as part of the assessment.

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