A Path Less Taken: Reshaping the Future of Medical Education with a Community Focus in Pakistan

Background Community-based medical education (CBME) enhances social accountability by incorporating medical training into community settings. As part of the ongoing reform of undergraduate medical education, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) is committed to cultivating the attribute of "Community Health Promoter" within the framework of "Seven-Star Doctors" in Pakistan. Methods A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using focus group interviews at four medical colleges in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to explore the implementation gaps in community-oriented and community-based medical education (COME and CBME) at the undergraduate level in Pakistan. Results Except for one deviant case, fourteen participants in this research reported that their only exposure to community-based activities occurred during field visits throughout their undergraduate studies and faculty experiences. Despite being an outlier in experiences, the insights provided by the deviant case reinforced the thematic analysis of this study, highlighting the urgent need for clear regulatory guidance to bridge hospital-based medical education and community-oriented primary health care (PHC). Conclusion The experiences articulated by the outlier participant underscored a self-imposed social accountability mechanism embraced by a few medical colleges in Pakistan. This qualitative study pointed out the urgent need for regulatory standards across the country, aiming to integrate clinical, preclinical, interdisciplinary, and interprofessional medical education for advancing universal health coverage (UHC) in Pakistan.