You can't study medicine part-time, can you?

Abstract

Societal expectations about inclusivity have resulted in changes in several aspects of higher education, many of which are aimed at promoting a broader student population engaged in learning. The option for part-time study does not exist in relation to primary medical education, and we assert that this limits the ability to train a population of doctors who truly represent the populations they serve. In this article, we discuss drivers and barriers to flexible study patterns for medical students—continuing a conversation begun almost a decade ago—and provide four key factors for consideration in regard to less than full-time medical education.