Accreditation of Graduate Medical Education Programmes : One Size Fits all - or does it ? = إعتماد برامج الدراسات العليا للتعليم الطبي : مقياس واحد يناسب الجميع أم لا ؟

Ikram A Burney,Neela Al-Lamki

doi:10.12816/0003224

Abstract

Worldwide, medical education, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, is in a process of evolution. Oman has adopted outcome- and competency-based curricula in graduate medical education programmes, and is currently seeking accreditation with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International (ACGME-I).1 We believe that is the way forward. In fact, many medical schools have adopted and are currently adopting outcome- and competency-based curricula, while many others employ the time-tested methods of apprenticeship and mentorship in their graduate medical education programmes. Not only are the two models of teaching and learning different, but efforts at ‘fine-tuning’ have led to a whole range of different options along the spectrum. Thus, while the medical education systems vary from one country to the other, from one region to the other in the same country, and even from one medical school to the other, there are advantages in each system. It is evident that many of the ‘core competencies’ of medical graduates and postgraduate doctors are developed by different training methods, and stimulated by a variety of accreditation systems.

Highlights

The process of refining methods in teaching, learning, and assessment in undergraduate and postgraduate education dates back to the 19th century, and is the result of either systematic reforms introduced, and/or a response to societal demands
Accreditation of graduate medical education started in the USA in the 1940s for individual programmes such as surgery
Why not share what they have with developing countries, where there is a dire need for an accreditation system? The General Medical Council (GMC) monitors the quality of training, etc., of the residency programmes in the UK deaneries but not international programmes as yet.[8]

Summary

Introduction

The process of refining methods in teaching, learning, and assessment in undergraduate and postgraduate education dates back to the 19th century, and is the result of either systematic reforms introduced, and/or a response to societal demands. The residency programmes in the USA and Canada have started applying the concept of outcome-based and competency-based assessment. Utilising such assessment tools provides a level playing field for the accreditation system of residency training programmes.

Results

Conclusion