Integrating Remote Presence Virtual Care into Medical Education in Canada

Access to healthcare in Canada remains limited for rural and remote communities, despite rapid technological advancements in virtual care. Medical education has not consistently prepared learners to deliver comprehensive virtual care that extends beyond traditional telemedicine. We describe the design and implementation of a two-week course in remote presence virtual care for fourth-year medical students delivered through the Virtual Health Hub, a center of excellence dedicated to improving access to care in underserved and remote communities using advanced virtual care technologies. The curriculum is grounded in an expanded model of virtual care that integrates remote presence robotics, artificial intelligence, peripheral diagnostic technologies, and community-engaged models of care. It was developed using Kern's six-step approach, informed by a targeted needs assessment addressing gaps in virtual care training and health system constraints. Educational strategies include didactic teaching, simulation-based learning, case-based discussions, supervised virtual clinical encounters, and summative assessment through an objective structured clinical examination. By reframing how virtual care is understood and taught, this work aims to equip future physicians with the clinical skills required to deliver equitable care in technologically enabled healthcare systems. We suggest that incorporating a course in comprehensive remote presence virtual care can function as a building block for a competency-based curriculum in medical training and prepare students for the use of these technologies to deliver health care in the future.