title: Evaluation of the first year of the Oxpal Medlink: A web-based partnership designed to address specific challenges facing medical education in the occupied Palestinian territories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To (1) evaluate educational needs of clinical students at Al-Quds University Medical School in the West Bank; (2) address these needs where possible using synchronous distance learning, with clinicians in Oxford providing case-based tutorials to undergraduates in the West Bank via an online platform (WizIQ) and (3) assess the impact of this education.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of online OxPal Medlink database for tutorials held between March 2012 and April 2013. Needs assessment and evaluation of student and tutor experiences through online questionnaires, focus groups and semi-structured interviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, UK, and Al-Quds University Medical School, Abu Dies, Palestine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Doctors at Oxford University Hospitals and fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year medical students and faculty members at Al-Quds Medical School.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number of tutorials, student participation, student-rated satisfaction and qualitative feedback from tutors and students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students demonstrated strong theoretical knowledge but struggled to apply this in presentation-based scenarios. Between March 2012 and April 2013, 90 tutorials were delivered to 60 students. Feedback: >95% respondents rated tutorials as 'Excellent' or 'Good' and 'Very' or 'Fairly' relevant to their future practice in Palestine. Students reported the programme had modified their approach to patients but requested better synchronization with concurrent attachments and clarification of learning outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OxPal Medlink is a novel, web-based distance-learning partnership designed to overcome some of the challenges to local medical education in the occupied Palestinian territories. Evaluation of the first year indicates teaching is relevant to local practice and of high quality. This approach may have the potential to strengthen local capacity for medical education.
authors: Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HG, UK.
authors: Rose S
authors: RS
authors: Penfold
authors: Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HG, UK.
authors: Mohammad A
authors: MA
authors: Ali
authors: Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
authors: Adam M
authors: AM
authors: Ali
authors: Senior Medical Registrar, Oxford Deanery, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
authors: Ishita
authors: I
authors: Patel
authors: Department of Upper GI Surgery, Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford OX3 7LE, UK.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: MacGregor
authors: Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
authors: Sushma
authors: S
authors: Shankar
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6HG, UK.
authors: Thomas J
authors: TJ
authors: Cahill
authors: Director of MedicineAfrica, Oxford OX4 1JE, UK.
authors: Alexander Et
authors: AE
authors: Finlayson
authors: Fulbright Scholar, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Imran
authors: I
authors: Mahmud
keywords: Internet; distance learning; education; teaching