Integrating the History of Pandemics into Medical Education: A Mixed-Methods Study at FMIOPH Lab “VIVARY”
Keywords:
medical education, pandemics, history of medicine, curriculum, COVID 19, preparednessAbstract
Historical pandemics offer critical lessons for future physicians, yet remain underrepresented in many medical curricula. This mixed‑methods study from FMIOPH Lab “VIVARY” (Fergana Medical Institute of Public Health, Uzbekistan) evaluated medical students’ knowledge of major pandemics, their attitudes toward integrating pandemic history teaching, and the impact of a pilot, history‑informed teaching module. A cross‑sectional survey (n=180) and pre/post knowledge test (n=92) were combined with focus groups. Baseline knowledge of the 1918 influenza and early COVID‑19 policy responses was low (mean score 46.3%), but 86% of students agreed that teaching on historical pandemics would better prepare them for future health crises. After a four‑week blended module linking plague, 1918 influenza, HIV/AIDS, and COVID‑19 to ethics and health systems, mean test scores improved by 21.4 percentage points (p<0.001), and self‑rated preparedness for future pandemics increased significantly. The findings support structured integration of pandemic history into medical education as a feasible, valued, and educationally effective innovation in a post‑COVID world.
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