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Call for papers - Medical education in low- and middle-income countries

Guest Editors

Zachary J. Eisner, BSE, MD (2025), University of Michigan, USA
Md Anwarul Azim Majumder, MBBS, MHPEd, PhD, FHEA, The University of the West Indies, Barbados
Curtise K.C. Ng, BSc(Hons), PhD, SFHEA, Curtin University, Australia
Hongbin Wu, PhD, Peking University, China

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 20 January 2025

BMC Medical Education is calling for submissions to its Collection on Medical education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Medical education serves as the cornerstone of healthcare systems, shaping the competencies and perspectives of future health professionals. While strides have been made to enhance medical education throughout the world, disparities persist, particularly in LMICs. This Collection aims to shed light on the diverse landscape of medical education in LMICs, exploring both the obstacles encountered and the strategies employed to overcome them.

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Zachary J. Eisner, BSE, MD (2025), University of Michigan, USA

Zachary J. Eisner is a Harry S. Truman Scholar, University of Michigan Medicine Dean’s Scholar, and Co-Founder and Executive Director of the global research institute and non-profit organization LFR International. Zach’s work developing the Lay First Responder (LFR) Model of Prehospital Care received the American College of Surgeons Excellence in Research Award and Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2020. He now serves as a founding representative of the Global Prehospital Consortium, advisor to the Global Surgery Student Alliance, consultant to the Nigerian Federal Road Safety Commission, Belgian Red Cross and various international academic surgery centres, and as an editorial board member of BMC Medical Education.

Md Anwarul Azim Majumder, MBBS, MHPEd, PhD, FHEA, The University of the West Indies, Barbados

Dr Azim Majumder earned his MBBS from Bangladesh and later pursued advanced degrees in medical education and public health from Australia, the UK, and Bangladesh. Renowned for his innovative contributions in medical education, he has served in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the UK. Presently, he's the Director of Medical Education at the University of the West Indies, Barbados. His expertise spans curriculum development, faculty training, accreditation, and HRH management. Furthermore, he has contributed to educational projects with organizations like WHO and World Bank. As the Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Medical Education and Practice and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, Dr. Majumder has penned numerous peer-reviewed articles.

Curtise K.C. Ng, BSc(Hons), PhD, SFHEA, Curtin University, Australia

Dr Curtise K.C. Ng received his BSc (Hons) Radiography degree in 2002 and PhD degree in 2007 from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In 2008, he took up the medical imaging lecturer position at Curtin University in Australia and has been a tenured senior lecturer since 2011. He was the BSc (MIS) course coordinator from mid-2015 to 2016. He has been the United Kingdom Higher Education Academy Senior Fellow since 2021.

Dr. Ng was the Associate Editor of the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences between 2013 and 2019 and guest editor of Children over the last 2 years. He has been an Editorial Board Member of BMC Medical Education since 2022.

Hongbin Wu, PhD, Peking University, China

Dr Hongbin Wu is an associate researcher at the National Centre for Health Professions Education Development/Institute of Medical Education, Peking University. He is an Editorial Board Member of BMC Medical Education and a member of the Leadership Team of the National Center for Health Professions Education Development in China. He holds a PhD from Peking University, and has focused on health professions education research since 2017. In recent years, he has been committed to advancing the scientific and professional development of medical education research in China. His research interests include medical student selection/choice and development, medical education management and policy evaluation, as well as learning science and educational technology.  Google Scholar Page.

About the Collection

BMC Medical Education is calling for submissions to its Collection on Medical education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Medical education serves as the cornerstone of healthcare systems, shaping the competencies and perspectives of future health professionals. While strides have been made to enhance medical education throughout the world, disparities persist, particularly in LMICs. Economically developing nations often lack adequate financial resources to invest in medical education infrastructure, including facilities, equipment, technology, and faculty development programs. This can result in a number of disadvantages for not only students and educators, but also future patients; outdated teaching materials, overcrowded classrooms, and a shortage of skilled educators are but a few examples. Moreover, cultural complexities, such as language barriers, differing regional health priorities, and the socioeconomic backgrounds of students, further impact the quality and accessibility of medical education in these areas. Despite these obstacles, innovative approaches and solutions are emerging, driven by the dedication and ingenuity of educators, policymakers, and healthcare practitioners.

This Collection aims to shed light on the diverse landscape of medical education in LMICs, exploring both the obstacles encountered and the strategies employed to overcome them. We invite contributions that delve into various aspects of medical education within this context, including but not limited to:

  • Curriculum development and gaps: Analysis of curricular frameworks tailored to address local healthcare needs and resources, including innovative approaches to address curriculum deficiencies
  • Quality assurance in medical education: Exploring strategies and frameworks for ensuring the quality and relevance of medical education programs in resource-constrained settings.
  • Equity and access: Investigating efforts to enhance equity and access to medical education, particularly for marginalized communities and underserved regions
  • Educational technologies: Examination of the integration of technology in medical education to bridge geographical and resource gaps.
  • Clinical training: Exploration of innovative approaches to clinical skills training and simulation in resource-limited settings.
  • Faculty development: Insights into programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing the capacity and skills of medical educators.
  • Community engagement: Case studies highlighting community-based education initiatives and their impact on healthcare delivery.


This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.


Image credit: © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS / stock.adobe.com

  1. Medical students perceive the transition to clerkship education as stressful and challenging and view themselves as novices during their rotation in clerkship education. The developmental perspective is thus i...

    Authors: Hyo Jeong Lee, Do-Hwan Kim and Ye Ji Kang
    Citation: BMC Medical Education 2024 24:910
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. To achieve quality midwifery education, understanding the experiences of midwifery educators and students in implementing a competency-based pre-service curriculum is critical. This study explored the experien...

    Authors: Duncan N. Shikuku, Sarah Bar-Zeev, Alice Norah Ladur, Helen Allott, Catherine Mwaura, Peter Nandikove, Alphonce Uyara, Edna Tallam, Eunice Ndirangu, Lucy Waweru, Lucy Nyaga, Issak Bashir, Carol Bedwell and Charles Ameh
    Citation: BMC Medical Education 2024 24:950
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. This study investigates the effectiveness of panel discussions, a specific interactive teaching technique where a group of students leads a pre-planned, topic-focused discussion with audience participation, in...

    Authors: Elham Nasiri and Laleh Khojasteh
    Citation: BMC Medical Education 2024 24:925
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Faculty development programs can bring about both individual and organizational capacity development by enhancing individuals’ attitudes, values, and skillsto enable them to implement organizational change. Un...

    Authors: Mahla Salajegheh, John Sandars, Azim Mirzazadeh and Roghayeh Gandomkar
    Citation: BMC Medical Education 2024 24:744
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection; please select "Medical education in low- and middle-income countries" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.