Fundamentals of edupreneurship
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA
President and CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, another lousy golfer, terrible cook, friction fixer
Entrepreneurship means many things to many people. The biggest misconception is that entrepreneurship refers, exclusively, to starting businesses. In fact, if we use the definition that entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity with scarce or uncontrolled resources with the goal of creating user defined value through the deployment of innovation using a VAST business model then it means much more. In fact, there are many ways to innovate and create user defined value, whether it be in sick care or education, other than taking care of patients, starting a business or teaching students.
The conventional wisdom is evident in articles like this one that talks about how institutions of higher learning can help targeted segments start businesses. Instead, they should be talking about how to create entrepreneurial universities and medical schools.
The missing link in all of this is that we don't recruit, develop, and promote edupreneurs- faculty-technologists/social activists acting like entrepreneurs in their schools who are trying to create student and other stakeholder defined value through the deployment of innovative, value creating educational technologies, structure, process and outcomes.
Here is what the academic intrapreneur dossier looks like and what would appear in an updated teaching portfolio when it's time to be considered for promotion and tenure.
Edupreneurship rests on several foundational principles:
18. Using the right teachers, technology (AI and VR), and techniques to improve learning e.g. case-based and project-based learning
Other types of edupreneurs, in addition to faculty, are educational technology entrepreneurs, foundations and funders of educational technologies, work force agencies and those in the government sector experimenting with college to career and retraining models and those offering support for at risk and vulnerable student populations.
The challenges facing education reform are like those of sick care reform:
1. Highly vested, well healed interests
2. Highly resistance to change
3. Tribal mentality?
4. Issues are quality, cost, access and experience?
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5. Lack of equity, diversity, and inclusion
6. Intense oversight by third parties
7. Hot button issues
8. Antiquated business models dating back over 100 years
9. Inadequate quality and quantity of workforce pipeline
10. Smoke stacked innovation ecosystems
11. Social determinants impact both
12. Sick students have difficulty with academic achievement. Underperforming students make poor patients.
It is important to state that despite the huge benefits offered by the adoption of technology and the adaptations that enabled continuous teaching with optimal results during the COVID-19 lockdown as discussed, there were a number of limitations these teachers of anatomy identified.
Cadaveric dissection gives students a real?time learning experience and helps them develop surgical skills at a very early stage, whereas virtual cadavers provide realistic visualization of 3D anatomical details. Learning anatomy with virtual dissection is unrealistic. The feel of touching the cadaver, incise the skin, and looking into the natural complexities of the body cannot be simulated perfectly. So, these newer technologies can be used as an add on to visualize the anatomy of complex structures, such as middle ear cavity or ethmoidal air sinuses for the improvement of fine motor skills in a stress?free environment.
Although, Cadaveric simulation has been proven to be useful in content delivery but to improve surgical skills among post graduate trainees practicing on cadavers is unparalleled.
Cost (buying and maintenance) associated with all these newer modalities is too high, not all medical schools can afford.
Most of the faculty are not well accustomed to these newer educational tools, thus pedagogic training for faculty is strongly recommended across the globe
Inequality of access to online technology: Despite many online modalities or software programs available for students to use, they can often be expensive. Not every student can afford or has exclusive access to a device suitable for remote learning. In country like India, where most of the students belong to rural and suburban, the nonavailability of reliable Internet connection makes the situation worse.
Performance anxiety due to lack of confidence: Anatomy education simply providing an online atlas is unlikely to give students an appreciation for the fabric of the human body. While these might not absolutely stop teaching and learning activities, it would become important specifically to address them to specifically address their implications and mitigate their effects.
Here is how iCorps can be used to help edupreneurs . Here are some other experiments in edupreneurship.
Edupreneurs are a neglected pool of talent who are being stifled, ignored, and buried by an industry highly resistant to change. Since talent goes where it is treated best, the result will be a death spiral, and students will be the victims.
Arlen Meyers, MD, MBA is the President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs on Substack and Editor of Digital Health Entrepreneurship
President and CEO, Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, another lousy golfer, terrible cook, friction fixer
2 个月https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2382120519889348?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3dpubmed
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7 年P
Budget & Planning Officer at Kaduna State Local Government Service Commission
7 年Very analytical and educative.
Managing Director at MAC Global Network Pte Ltd
7 年The other reason that some who refuse to change is that they could stay on in power, maybe to continue on their livelihood or even just habit of in control. They insist on their own methodology and unable to embrace new one as they are too contented in the current status that they refuse to upgrade themselves to follow the new trend of this working world. I kind of like the idea of restructuring the organization by re-interview of all existing staffs so that they can see if they still fit the bill.
Administrative Officer
7 年The post is a welcome in this 21st centuries. thanks man