Virtual Learning Policies in Medical Sciences Universities during COVID-19; a Systematic Review

Aims: The educational system is one of the key areas affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to their sensitive nature, medical schools and health-related disciplines have been more significantly impacted by COVID-19. Therefore, aggregation and integration of educational policies applied in medical schools worldwide are essential for evidence-based decision-making by educational policymakers—the present study aimed to identify virtual learning policies in medical schools during COVID-19. Information Methods: This systematic review of all published articles on virtual education policies in medical schools during COVID-19 until January 20, 2022, collected from five databases and the Google Scholar search engine. Overall, 38 articles are identified and analyzed using content analysis in MAXQDA 10. Findings: The results are classified into three domains: Challenges, solutions, and advantages of virtual learning of medical sciences during COVID-19. Thirty-four challenges, 62 solutions, and 27 advantages are identified. Each domain is divided into five categories: learner, teaching-learning process, technical infrastructure, instructor, and evaluation. Conclusion: Distance education policies need to identify the challenges of this type of education and apply a systemic model of interventions that include virtual clinical workshops, clinical simulation laboratories, flexible online resources, a gradual e-learning process, a system for sharing the virtual materials of instructors, and ways of improving students’ and instructors’ computer skills.