Epistemological and Ontological Challenges of Transnational Foundation Year Medical Students

Abstract

This paper investigates the journey embarked upon by foundation year medical students in order to adapt to new ways of learning, knowing and realizing self-determination as they navigate the new situated spaces of a transnational medical university in the Middle East. Drawing on a body of research carried out in this university, and with reference to wider literature on transnational education, this paper develops insights and makes recommendations on how to support local Arab students from Arabic secondary schools who enter transnational medical education ‘at home’. The discussion considers an important component of this as being the shift in this context from previous learning through the medium of Arabic to tertiary level learning in English. It is argued that the transition of transnational students can be mapped through ontological and epistemological lenses through a journey from ‘known space’ to ‘new place’. A tri-support model which demonstrates this transition is presented which can be usefully applied to other transnational educational contexts.