In 1620, Francis Bacon argued that ‘knowledge is power’. Since the advent of the Internet and the increasing popularity of social media services such as Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter,  spreading knowledge has never been easier or more instantaneous. Yet the inequalities regarding access to information, technical skills, and medical training resources seem enormous. Inequalities of physician expertise are a detriment to our society, and a disservice to patients everywhere. It seems that bridging the digital divide that separates the “haves” from the “have nots”, requires more than simple access. It also requires the successful design, implementation, and universal acceptance of  inspiring and effective educational programs and philosophies. These programs can only succeed  when they are championed by well-intentioned leaders who teach through personal example and mentorship. Technology might allow our ideas and images to transcend national boundaries, but healthcare education is most enriched by a learner’s personal identification with compassionate, intelligent, and unselfish role models who discard egos in exchange for a greater good.

An educational system based on the democratization of knowledge is the exact opposite of a system based on the coerced acceptance of conventional wisdom and dogma. For centuries, medical training was defined by ‘The Teacher’ who was the owner of knowledge and who had power over the learner; that other person who was granted the privilege of entering a circle of those who know. With democratization, or what some might call liberalization, the exchange of knowledge becomes naturally learner-centric. Teacher and student develop a positively reinforced, symbiotic relationship where each actually learns from the other. The results of this interaction are both rich and enlightening.