Transformative pedagogies in medical education and healthcare professions have changed the traditional approach to building and enhancing health careers, and acquiring skills relevant to healthcare delivery, professions and policy. The last decade has heralded the urgency for capacity building in all domains of education and learning ranging from school, undergraduate and graduate education and beyond. Building such capacity will require interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration.
Capacity building aims to nurture and build upon resources and strengths available within the communities leading to the ultimate development of the people. It has been widely recognized that building social capital leads to improved health outcomes among communities. We must embrace lifelong learning, which is at the core of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – “Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning”. This will ensure sustainable development and lifestyles for a healthy future; and facilitate knowledge exchange leading to further strengthening and development of human capital to meet the evolving health and wellness needs of the 21st century.
The Building Capacity in Healthcare Professions Symposium will provide health practitioners and educators with an understanding of how to engage and develop partnerships and become life long learners with the ultimate aim to enhance the health of populations.
Research has shown that continuous learning and improvement form the basis of capacity building. This capacity building symposium will help in bridging the gap by providing the participants an avenue to make inroads into lifelong learning and expand their existing scope of skills and knowledge. The symposium will also allow participants to think and focus beyond medical education and understand how wellness, counseling, self-care, public health and policy lend support to the overall improvement of population health.
At the end of the symposium, participants will be able to:
Health professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, counselors, therapists, researchers, educators, administrators, executives and other health professionals).