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Moral Panic in Medical Education: Analysing Responses to a Global Regulatory Policy

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Title: Moral Panic in Medical Education: Analysing Responses to a Global Regulatory Policy
Language: English
Authors: James Kelly, Devina Maru, Syed Moyn Ali, Cynthia Whitehead, Janet Grant, Mohammed Ahmed Rashid
Source: Discover Education. 2025 4.
Availability: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Medical Education, Social Media, Discourse Analysis, Educational Policy, Global Approach, International Organizations, Nongovernmental Organizations, Accreditation (Institutions), Developing Nations, Computer Mediated Communication, Foreign Countries, Moral Values, Stress Variables, Governance
Geographic Terms: Pakistan
DOI: 10.1007/s44217-025-00841-8
ISSN: 2731-5525
Abstract: Background: The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is a global non-statutory, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation that announced a recognition programme for regulatory agencies in 2010, responding to an accreditation policy by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in the US. While WFME's role has expanded globally, no studies have examined stakeholder perceptions of this recognition programme in Global South contexts. Objective: To examine social media discourse about WFME to understand how it is perceived by medical education stakeholders, with particular focus on responses to the recognition programme. Methods: A systematic search of Twitter posts referencing WFME over a 360-day period (August 2021-August 2022) was conducted using Twitter API. Posts were analysed thematically using Cohen's Moral Panic framework and contextualised with newspaper articles and webinar content. Moral Foundations Theory was applied to understand underlying psychological drivers of responses. Results: 294 tweets were analysed, with 94% (276) relating to Pakistan's medical regulatory agencies seeking WFME recognition. Analysis revealed that responses aligned with Cohen's five stages of moral panic: identification (20%), amplification (30%), anxiety (27%), gatekeeping (13%), and submergence (10%). The Pakistan Medical Commission was positioned as a "folk devil," with discourse reflecting multiple moral foundations including care/harm, fairness/cheating, and authority/subversion. Conclusions: This case study demonstrates how global recognition policies can generate moral panic in the Global South, particularly in the context of unstable governance. The findings highlight unintended consequences of the WFME recognition programme in Pakistan and suggest the need for more nuanced understanding of how policies originating in the Global North impact medical education communities worldwide.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1491010
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Moral Panic in Medical Education: Analysing Responses to a Global Regulatory Policy
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22James+Kelly%22">James Kelly</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Devina+Maru%22">Devina Maru</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Syed+Moyn+Ali%22">Syed Moyn Ali</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cynthia+Whitehead%22">Cynthia Whitehead</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Janet+Grant%22">Janet Grant</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mohammed+Ahmed+Rashid%22">Mohammed Ahmed Rashid</searchLink>
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  Data: Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+Education%22">Medical Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Media%22">Social Media</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discourse+Analysis%22">Discourse Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Global+Approach%22">Global Approach</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22International+Organizations%22">International Organizations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nongovernmental+Organizations%22">Nongovernmental Organizations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accreditation+%28Institutions%29%22">Accreditation (Institutions)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developing+Nations%22">Developing Nations</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Mediated+Communication%22">Computer Mediated Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Moral+Values%22">Moral Values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stress+Variables%22">Stress Variables</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Governance%22">Governance</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pakistan%22">Pakistan</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1007/s44217-025-00841-8
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2731-5525
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is a global non-statutory, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation that announced a recognition programme for regulatory agencies in 2010, responding to an accreditation policy by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) in the US. While WFME's role has expanded globally, no studies have examined stakeholder perceptions of this recognition programme in Global South contexts. Objective: To examine social media discourse about WFME to understand how it is perceived by medical education stakeholders, with particular focus on responses to the recognition programme. Methods: A systematic search of Twitter posts referencing WFME over a 360-day period (August 2021-August 2022) was conducted using Twitter API. Posts were analysed thematically using Cohen's Moral Panic framework and contextualised with newspaper articles and webinar content. Moral Foundations Theory was applied to understand underlying psychological drivers of responses. Results: 294 tweets were analysed, with 94% (276) relating to Pakistan's medical regulatory agencies seeking WFME recognition. Analysis revealed that responses aligned with Cohen's five stages of moral panic: identification (20%), amplification (30%), anxiety (27%), gatekeeping (13%), and submergence (10%). The Pakistan Medical Commission was positioned as a "folk devil," with discourse reflecting multiple moral foundations including care/harm, fairness/cheating, and authority/subversion. Conclusions: This case study demonstrates how global recognition policies can generate moral panic in the Global South, particularly in the context of unstable governance. The findings highlight unintended consequences of the WFME recognition programme in Pakistan and suggest the need for more nuanced understanding of how policies originating in the Global North impact medical education communities worldwide.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1491010
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      – SubjectFull: Medical Education
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