International Accreditation Bodies Research Articles

Development of an International Qualification Framework for the Strength and Conditioning Profession: International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement

In the profession of strength and conditioning (S&C), there is a need for a standardised, comprehensive framework that can allow for the alignment of international certifications, qualifications, and standards. This need stems from the lack of clarity surrounding the awarding levels of different governing bodies and organisations worldwide, as well as the increased connectedness of international sport and physical activity. Central to such a framework is understanding the current issues affecting S&C coaches,1 current professional standards and guidelines,2 and remuneration structures.3,4 As the sole dedicated international accreditation body, the International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association (IUSCA)5 carried out market research analysis and stakeholder engagement with regional and international educational authorities (Ofqual, European Commission, UNESCO, USDE, CHEA, TEQSA, ASQA) to develop a global framework for the rating and awarding of S&C courses, certifications, and qualifications.

Empowering the next generation of women in interior design in the United Arab Emirates through competitive education: a curriculum review

PurposeThis paper explores the impact of interior design education and its effectiveness in the work environment for women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as they are the primary recipients of interior design programs. The analysis focuses on the role of women in interior design in the Gulf countries and the update of an interior design program curriculum as part of the continuous development program requested by the UAE Commission of Academic Accreditation (CAA) of the national Ministry of Education (MoE).Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts different methodologies: an academic annual effectiveness report (AER), requirements of relevant international and regional accreditation bodies and a double round of surveys and interviews with female students, alumni, instructors and professionals.FindingsThe article collects and compares data from different perspectives, from the academic to the professional point of view, discussing challenges and opportunities for female students in contemporary interior design in the UAE. After collecting the necessary feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the bachelor’s program, a set of informed recommendations has been developed, approved and introduced during the academic year 2022/2023. At the end of the year, a second feedback from faculty and external reviewers was gathered and analyzed, providing preliminary insights into the effectiveness of the curricular revisions and highlighting the significant benefits for the female students.Originality/valueThe paper discusses the comprehensive and up-to-date combination of traditional elements, innovative approaches and sustainable practices, alongside the strategic planning of the United Arab Emirates, proposed to enhance female learning experiences while reinforcing their skills and competencies for their future careers.

A Systematic Framework for Designing and Implementing Outcome-Based Curriculum in Engineering Education: A Comprehensive Approach

Abstract— Higher educational institutions and Universities are facing challenges to produce skilled graduates capable of addressing anticipated industry needs. This is due to implementation of traditional curricula and adoption of teacher centric approach. Eventually, traditional curriculum creates a significant gap between the skills acquired by students through education and the skills needed at the workplace. To bridge the gap, national and international accreditation bodies are enforcing educational institutions to implement Outcome Based Education (OBE) in their educational processes. The OBE is a student-centric teaching and learning approach that focuses on skills anticipated by the industries. The implementation OBE in engineering education is driven by design and implementation OBE curriculum. In this context, the current article presents a systematic framework for designing, developing, and implementing outcome-based curriculum for engineering education. The framework comprises of six phases including identification of a new program, formulation of mission, vision, and educational objectives for the identified program, curriculum development, the procedure to outline course syllabus, and finally, implementation of developed curriculum. industry needs at the time of their graduation. Thus, the proposed framework aids institutions in designing, developing, and implementing OBE curriculum, leading to cater industry needs. Keywords— Curriculum design; Engineering education; Industry needs; Skilled graduates; Outcome Based Education

Utilizing Stakeholder Consultations to Identify Context-Specific Professional Skills for Veterinary Graduates in Bangladesh

Despite professional skills being part of the Day One Competences published by national as well as international accreditation bodies, veterinary schools in Bangladesh have limited associated teaching within their curricula. Therefore, our study aimed to identify the most important professional skills for veterinarians in Bangladesh through local consultation to inform future initiatives to change the curriculum. Eleven focus groups were conducted with 45 stakeholders who included veterinarians who supervise students on workplacements, faculty, recent graduates, final year students, and clients. The audio recordings were transcribed, translated into English from Bengali and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Professional skills were considered essential by all stakeholder groups. The most important professional skills were identified as communication, ethical conduct, teamwork, career options, financial management skills, lifelong learning, time management and self-appraisal. One of the best opportunities to practice many of the skills was identified as being during final year workplacements, while participating in extracurricular activities, learning by observing others and self-motivation were also considered valuable. Participants identified a need for more formal professional skills teaching within the curriculum. Challenges included finding space in the curriculum, raising awareness amongst university academics and engaging students and faculty in the new initiatives. This study has identified the most important professional skills in our context. Consultation with relevant regional stakeholders was crucial and will inform curricular change. The results are being used in the development of professional skills courses with the long-term aim of better preparing our graduates for their future careers.

What sorts of public value are Thai public business schools aiming to realise?

AbstractThis study examines the types of public value that Thai public business schools aim to realise. The study draws on publicly available data relating to the mission statements of these schools and follows a recognised research approach for analysing data from mission statements. It also compared these results to those found in Thai private universities, as well as in Australian universities, where a similar study has recently been undertaken. Our results indicate that there are currently four distinct types of public business schools in Thailand based on their public value propositions: Society‐oriented Schools, Graduate‐producing Schools, Socially‐responsible Leadership Schools, and Internationally‐oriented Schools. While the first two concentrate on creating value for Thai society and businesses, the latter two concentrate on more holistic outcomes, have less of a Thailand‐centric focus, and are more likely to be members of international accreditation bodies. An analysis of the private schools provided broadly similar outcomes, likely because both public and private universities are subjected to the same political and cultural expectations. In an increasingly competitive business education market, some Thai public business schools may shift from simply supplying graduates to Thai businesses to embracing more globally relevant public value propositions, especially if they wish to pursue international accreditation. A greater emphasis on engagement and working with professional bodies will also likely be essential.

Impact of Learning Digitization on Business Education Quality: The Moderating Role of International Accreditation Bodies

The digitization of higher education (HE), particularly general and business education, is increasingly becoming a necessity in the post–COVID-19 pandemic period, forcing higher education institutions (HEIs) to switch to digital learning, with all of its accompanying challenges. This study focused on investigating the effect of digitizing HE learning on the quality of business education and the moderating influence of international accreditation bodies on this relationship. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from a convenient sample of 232 business HEI faculties in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A simple regression analysis was used to test the study’s hypotheses. The findings indicate that learning management systems, student assessment and student interaction have a significant impact on the quality of education in a digital classroom setting. It was further found that international accreditation bodies have a significant positive moderating influence in maintaining and enhancing the quality of digital business education during pandemic and post-pandemic periods. Additionally, these bodies provide support to HEIs to help overcome challenges in ensuring the quality of digital learning. The implications and potential contributions of the study are discussed along with its limitations and areas for future research.

B-032 Total lab Automation Validation/Verification Protocol: First Step of Process Excellence Journey in Smart Core Lab in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute, Mumbai, India

Abstract Background The total laboratory automation (TLA) involves the integration, automation, consolidation and digitalization of pre-examination, examination, and post-examination processes. It is far simpler to introduce TLA in a lean, highly standardized smart core lab setting than it is to replicate complex procedures based on manual workflows, therefore harmonization/standardization is a requirement. In this era of modern clinical laboratory, a very important step with respect to the quality of the entire process is method validation/ verification. Hence, it is fundamental to verify/validate TLA process flow, new techniques, new methods and new test parameters.During laboratory accreditation process, the most frequently cited deficiency involves inappropriate PQ (Performance Qualification) and verification protocol. The main principles to the PQ laboratory test validation or verification protocol are Accuracy, Precision, Reference Interval, Detection Limit (LOD), Analytical Measurement Range (AMR) and Clinically Reportable Range (CRR), etc. Hence a clinically appropriate turnaround time is guaranteed via validation, which also provides accurate and precise readings. Methods Around 250 parameters, of biochemical and immunoassay for samples like serum/plasma/cerebrospinal fluid/urine have been validated/verified on this automated system. Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and best practise checklist as per international and national accreditation bodies served as the foundation for verification. Following are the steps for verification. Analytical Accuracy: Run samples by both methods to evaluate bias. Verify Precision: Run 5 replicates per run for 5 days, at all levels of control sera. Check Reference Intervals: Representative 20 healthy individuals are selected. Verify LOB and LOD Values: Run 20 blank (zero calibrator) or low patient samples. Pneumatic System Verification Protocol: 20 samples carried manually by health care assistants and 20 samples transported via the pneumatic system. We have done sigma metrics of 250 parameters in the lab. Results With particular reference to Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), we have obtained the following results: For the Reference interval study, out of 353 volunteers recruited, 8 volunteer data were excluded (7 outliers, 1 abnormal TPO values). We obtained the reference interval of 0.53–4.489 μIU/mL, which is within the range specified by the manufacturer's reference range. A good level of analytical accuracy is demonstrated between the two instruments with r2 = 0.9938 having a coefficient of variation of 4.32%. The coefficient of variation values of precision for inter laboratory method comparison for lower and high-level values is 1.39% and 1.76% respectively, which is comparable with the manufacturers claims values. The coefficient of repeatability is 1.3442 is higher than 0.7 and hence considered as the two instruments having a good retest reliability. We observed more than six sigma performance of TSH. Based on Operational Specification (OPSpecs) Chart and Method Decision Chart sigma values of all the parameters are evaluated and quality control strategies have been defined. Conclusion Thus, validation of all biochemistry & immunoassay parameters in TLA set up of the smart core laboratory promotes an environment, emphasizing patient safety and quality patient care.

ATRIBUTOS DE LA CALIDAD DE LA ENSEÑANZA DESDE LA PERSPECTIVA DE ESTUDIANTES DE PREGRADO EN CONTABILIDAD EN ARABIA SAUDITA: UNA ENCUESTA

This study aims to explore the attributes of teaching quality from the perspective of undergraduate accounting students in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire survey was used to obtain views of undergraduate accounting students on the attributes of teaching quality. 28 attributes of teaching quality were included in the questionnaire. The findings of the study showed the importance of 27 of the 28 attributes of teaching quality included in the questionnaire from the accounting students' perspective. These attributes include attributes related to the class preparation and design, the class delivery, and the instructor's traits and personal characteristics. The findings of the study can help accounting faculties to evaluate their teaching strategies and create a development plan that is aligned with students’ expectations to enhance teaching quality, improve classroom effectiveness, and ultimately deliver students who are better prepared for the accounting profession. The findings of the study may also be of interest to academic managers, such as deans and heads of departments/schools, in designing staff development programs to improve teaching and student satisfaction. This study is timely because most of the undergraduate accounting programs in Saudi universities have recently applied for accreditation either from national or international accreditation bodies. As teaching quality is one of the important factors in obtaining academic accreditation, this study may have important implications in the field of higher education in Saudi Arabia.

Assessing the Presence of the Joint Commission International Accreditation Requirements in Western Saudi Arabia Hospital Pharmacies: A Cross-sectional Study.

The Central Board of Accreditation for Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) the national Saudi accreditation body accredited most hospitals in Saudi Arabia whereas, the Joint Commission International (JCI) a well-known international accreditation body accredited some hospitals. We assessed Western Saudi Arabia hospital pharmacists' knowledge, opinions, and observations about pharmacy-related JCI accreditation criteria needed for hospitals. This was a cross-sectional survey-based study conducted among pharmacy personnel working in the Ministry of Health (MOH), Military, and private hospitals in the Makkah region in western Saudi Arabia. The present report represents the findings of descriptive and comparative analyses. Comparative analyses were tested by Student's t-test, analysis of variance, and Chi-square when applicable and a P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. One hundred and one pharmacists completed the survey; most of them were from Taif (53.5%) and Jeddah (37.6%) and fewer from Makkah (8.9%). The highest proportions were from MOH (55.4%), private (29.7%), and some from military (14.9%) hospitals. They worked mostly in hospitals accredited with CBAHI (93.1%) than JCI (58.4%) and only (41.6%) worked with quality units. Correct answers on knowledge items ranged from 14.9% to 65.3%. On five-point Likert Scale, they showed supportive ratings on how they perceived the importance of JCI statement provided (overall average score: 3.78) and on how statement criteria are implemented in their hospitals (overall average score: 3.76). Higher proportions of those working in quality units compared to their counterparts were aware that accreditation cycles for JCI and CBAHI are identical (66.7% vs. 55.9%, P = 0.009) and that JCI criteria are more concise than CBAHI (59.5% vs. 52.5%, P = 0.007). Higher proportions of those working in JCI-accredited hospitals compared to their counterparts were aware that JCI criteria are clearer than CBAHI (55.9% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.021) and that JCI criteria are more concise than CBAHI (61% vs. 47.6%, P = 0.012). To a high extent, pharmacists were supportive of JCI criteria and considered the criteria to be implemented in their hospitals. There is a room for improvement to enhance awareness and support of JCI quality criteria among pharmacists.

Evaluation of ABET accreditation path for a representative African undergraduate computer science programme

As of the beginning of 2022, only four of 54 countries in Africa had programmes accredited by ABET—the widely used international accreditation body for tertiary education programmes in computing, engineering, applied and natural sciences, and engineering technology. This article provides results from an evaluation of a representative non-ABET-accredited African undergraduate computer science programme—the University of Namibia (UNAM) Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computer Science—in terms of its potential for ABET accreditation. The study evaluates the UNAM programme against ABET’s General Criteria (GC), and also against ABET’s computer science Program Criteria (PrCr), in order to determine the steps UNAM would need to take were it to seek ABET accreditation for the programme. The authors also evaluate the level of difficulty that each of the steps would likely involve. The authors’ evaluation aims to be replicable, so as to provide a potential tool for use by any African higher education entity seeking ABET accreditation for a learning programme.

Contextual and linguistic challenges for French business schools to achieve international accreditation: experts as boundary-spanners

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the contextual and linguistic challenges that French business schools face when preparing for international accreditation and to shed light on the different ways in which experts facilitate these accreditation processes, particularly with respect to how they capitalize on their contextual and linguistic boundary-spanning competences.Design/methodology/approachThe authors interviewed 12 key players at four business schools in France engaged in international accreditations and in three specific categories: senior management, tenured faculty and administrative staff. The interview-based case study design used semi-structured questions and an insider researcher approach to study an underexplored sector of analysis.FindingsThe findings suggest that French business schools have been particularly impacted by the colonizing effects of English as the mandatory language of the international accreditation bodies espousing a basically Anglophone higher education philosophy. Consequently, schools engage external experts for their contextual and linguistic boundary-spanning expertise to facilitate accreditation processes.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to language-sensitive research through a critical perspective on marginalization within French business schools due to the use of English as the mandatory lingua franca of international accreditation processes and due to the underlying higher-education philosophy from the Anglophone academic sphere within these processes. As a result, French business schools resort to external experts to mediate their knowledge and competency gaps.

Short Text Mining for Classifying Educational Objectives and Outcomes

Most of the international accreditation bodies in engineering education (e.g., ABET) and outcome-based educational systems have based their assessments on learning outcomes and program educational objectives. However, mapping program educational objectives (PEOs) to student outcomes (SOs) is a challenging and time-consuming task, especially for a new program which is applying for ABET-EAC (American Board for Engineering and Technology the American Board for Engineering and Technology—Engineering Accreditation Commission) accreditation. In addition, ABET needs to automatically ensure that the mapping (classification) is reasonable and correct. The classification also plays a vital role in the assessment of students’ learning. Since the PEOs are expressed as short text, they do not contain enough semantic meaning and information, and consequently they suffer from high sparseness, multidimensionality and the curse of dimensionality. In this work, a novel associative short text classification technique is proposed to map PEOs to SOs. The datasets are extracted from 152 self-study reports (SSRs) that were produced in operational settings in an engineering program accredited by ABET-EAC. The datasets are processed and transformed into a representational form appropriate for association rule mining. The extracted rules are utilized as delegate classifiers to map PEOs to SOs. The proposed associative classification of the mapping of PEOs to SOs has shown promising results, which can simplify the classification of short text and avoid many problems caused by enriching short text based on external resources that are not related or relevant to the dataset.

Sustainable Program Assessment Practices: A Review of the ABET and NCAAA Computer Information Systems Accreditation Process.

Program outcome assessment is a complex process that demands careful planning and resources in order to accurately assess higher-order thinking skills. A well-defined assessment approach provides detailed insights into program weaknesses and leads to continuous improvement. Whereas a poor assessment approach does not reflect the underlying weaknesses and may result in a useless effort. Furthermore, each accreditation body may have a different recommended outcome measurement approach. As a result, academic institutions may make adhoc choices just to satisfy accreditation requirements rather than designing a sustainable measurement approach. On the other hand, the magnitude of huge tasks for satisfying multiple accreditation bodies results in fatigue and mental stress for academic staff. ABET is a well-known international program accreditation body, and NCAAA is a local accreditation body for academic programs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In this paper, we have documented that how a sustainable outcome measurement mechanism can be designed to satisfy both ABET and NCAAA requirements. The core contribution of this paper is relevant specifically for academic programs in the Kingdom striving to meet both ABET and NCAAA requirements and is also relevant for all education programs to design an appropriate program assessment approach to ensure a sustainable process to foster better learning among students.

Developing Engineering Communicative Competency through Effective Assessment Methods

A great importance of engineering education over the last decade has been on the development of some very specific non-technical attributes which included communication skills, the ability to function in teams, knowledge of societal and contemporary issues, development of global perspective, and ethics awareness. These non-technical skills complement a strong technical foundation to produce well-rounded engineering graduates who are flexible and adaptable to suit the constantly developing and changing requirements of the workplace. The industry as well as the international and local accreditation bodies have repeatedly highlighted the importance of strong communication skills for engineers entering the workplace [1] – [7]. Industries require a greater number of communication and interpersonal skills for entry-level engineers [8], yet, graduate engineers still lack the required standard of communication skills [9]. Engineering communication competency, especially in the English language is essential for an engineer who aspires to carry out his/her professional practice in the global economy. Similarly, the challenges faced by graduates are to focus on the development of the professional skills in the undergraduate engineering program in order to meet the demands from industries. As such the Malaysian higher education system must produce graduates who can communicate effectively in English. Otherwise, it would lose one of its vital selling points for foreign investors to ensure that the skilled labor forces are sufficient to support internationally competitive commerce and industry and to provide individuals with opportunities to optimize their potentials [10], [11]

The Effect of Implementing International Accreditation Standards on the Performance of Health Services at King Khalid National Guard Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background/Objectives: Recently there is a great demand for quality in healthcare services which has risen due to various market forces such as medical tourism, insurance, corporate growth and competition. As a result of these demands, the expectations of the consumer for best in quality has also risen, which has indeed lead to the introduction of national and international accreditation bodies to act as a quality assurance mechanism, thus enhancing customers access to better healthcare services. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The study is to analyze the impact of Implementing International Accreditation Standards (JCI) on the performance of health services at King Khalid National Guard Hospital in Jeddah as well as providing suggestions to enhance positive trends and overcome negative trends in the application of international accreditation standards in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The investigation encompassed (128) of physicians and administrators at King Khalid National Guard Hospital in Jeddah, with 15% of the population. Findings: Our research methodology depends on using survey tool which was distributed to them and the study reached to the fact that there is a high level of implementation of JCI, high efficiency in the organization, leadership and management, management of support services, and implementation of personnel management standards at King Khalid National Guard Hospital as well as high level of efficiency in the performance of health services in King Hospital Khalid. Also, we concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship between the implementation of the standards of the institution and the leadership and management, the implementation of standards of management of support services and the implementation of standards of personnel management and performance of health services at King Khalid National Guard Hospital in Jeddah. Mechanism for the quality of service, work on the continuous assessment in compliance with international standards for the quality of health service, regarded as the King Khalid National Guard Hospital as a model for the rest of the hospitals in the Kingdom over the application of international standards in quality. Improvements/Applications: We concluded that accreditation is a transparent system of control over the accredited hospital which assures that the hospital will constantly fulfill the accreditation criteria. The on-site survey of the hospital and staff by the experienced accreditation assessment team encourages them to establish educational and performance improvement goals. The best part is that it gives the opportunity to the patients to give a feedback on the services they availed during their stay in the hospital and also to complain if they were dissatisfied. Keywords: Healthcare, International Accreditation Standards, King Khalid National Guard Hospital and SPSS

FACTORS DETERMINING THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY AT A BUSINESS SCHOOL IN INDONESIA

Despite the facts that higher education institutions are the source of quality concept and theory, they have been lagging behind manufacturing or service businesses in embracing and carrying out proper quality management. Managing quality in higher education is a difficult task due to several factors such as different perspectives between stakeholders and traditional characteristics of institutions. On the other hand, accreditation, for example by the Indonesian Bureau of Higher Education Accreditation, and international accreditation bodies, such as AACSB, EQUIS, is perceived as a tool to demonstrate a certain quality threshold. However, many studies argue that periodic quality assessments using recognized accreditation bodies do not touch inherent quality issues in education, and that they are generally used as an exercise of quality control. The objective of this study is to look beyond quality assessments using these recognized accreditation bodies and examine dimensions of quality from university's stakeholder’s point of view, especially the stakeholder that represents the demand side. Factor analysis is conducted, and the number of factors proposed by the results are identified. There are seven quality dimensions that have impacts on the quality management system in higher education. Three dimensions are new findings, i.e., the importance of providing health and insurance, the importance of good ambiance of campus environment, and stakeholder’s explicit ability to demonstrate quality in higher education.

AN ASSESSMENT OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE TRAINING IN UNDERGRADUATE ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

The scope of the architectural profession, one of the oldest professions in human history, has changed with the advent of technology. Likewise, architectural education also changes and improves all the time. Accrediting bodies evaluate architectural education and improve them through competence activities. In this study, the requirements identified by National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), an international accreditation body, and the national accreditation body Architecture Accreditation Board (MIAK) have been reviewed, upon which it has been found out that professional practice has an important share in architectural education but has not been the subject of current research. Therefore, the study aims to assess the situation in Turkey in terms of undergraduate architectural education with respect to professional practice and identify the weaknesses thereof, hence contributing to architectural education. In this context, the professional practice requirements among the NAAB and MIAK requirements have been reviewed and the areas that need to be covered in terms of professional practice within undergraduate architecture programmes have been identified. The professional practice courses in undergraduate architecture programmes and the course contents have been analysed to demonstrate the current situation of professional practice training in undergraduate architecture programmes in Turkey. The data for the analysis of courses and course contents have been gathered from the webpages of universities. Content analysis method has been used in assessing course contents.

The linkage between knowledge management practices and organization based projects for better learning outcome

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a framework to understand and reflect upon issues, which can help in producing better industry-ready students graduating from business schools.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines research conducted in the area of knowledge management (KM) and proposes a conceptual framework that can be used by academic institutions to engage students and prepare them for industry needs so that they are better industry-ready graduates. A case study based approach has been adopted in this study.FindingsIn line with the literature-based analysis, a framework for better industry ready students has been proposed, illustrating the linkage between KM, learning from organization-based projects, industry feedback and inputs from international accreditation bodies in higher education.Originality/valueThis paper has provided a comprehensive framework that contributes to the understanding and refining the academic processes in a business school setting with the help of learning from academic KM process. Such a framework has not been previously developed by previous researchers.

Evolution of family medicine residency training program in Dubai Health Authority: A 24-year review, challenges, and outcomes.

Introduction:It is well known that family medicine (FM) is a cornerstone for developing a community-based health-care system, and training family physicians is critical for the society. In Middle East, only 5%–10% of physicians, nurses, and health technicians are citizens. This demands more efforts toward having national FM practitioners in the country. The development of FM residency training program through the past two decades in Dubai has played a crucial rule in this aspect.Methods:The primary purpose of this study is to review the status of FM specialty training in the Emirates of Dubai throughout the past two decades.Results:The FM residency training program started since 1993 and had intake of 230 residents till 2017; out of which, 200 (87%) were female and 211 (92%) were the United Arab Emirates national. From 176 residents who are supposed to be graduated by 2017, 162 (92%) completed 4-year training, 132 (75%) has got the Arab Board certificate, and 116 (66%) qualified by the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) international.Conclusion:The present study revealed that despite all challenges, the well-structured FM program enabled the graduates to reach high clinical, administrative, leadership, and academic positions such as consultant (40), chief executive officer (1), chief advisor for primary care (1), director (9), head of sections (9), head/deputy head of primary health center (55), head of academic affair center (1), chair of MRCGP international (1), program director of FM (4), MRCGP convener (6), MRCGP coordinator (6), and MRCGP examiner (42). However, the program is still lacking certification by an international accreditation body. This will help in reaching a better balance between education and clinical duties for all trainers and faculty; and will positively advocate support for an environment conducive to learning for residents as well as faculty members.

Enfrentamiento del tabaquismo en el paciente hospitalizado

Hospitalization is a valuable opportunity for smoking cessation. In Chile this opportunity is wasted. The need to hospitalize is determined by diseases often caused by smoking, this scenario allows the patient to assess not only the consequences of this addiction, but also the importance of stopping tobacco consumption. During hospitalization, the nicotine withdrawal syndrome appears, whose recognition and management is essential to avoid habitual complications: anxiety or delirium. For all of the above mentioned reasons, it is necessary the adequate confrontation of smoking in the hospitalized patient, which is recognized by international accreditation bodies as Joint Commission. A Cochrane metaanalysis 2012 concluded that the two pillars of effective interventions were the multimodal character (counseling and pharmacological treatment), and ambulatory follow-up for more than one month after discharge. The central elements of a brief counseling can be summarized in ABC, where A: ask about smoking; B: give brief advice stating the importance of quitting, and C: provide support for cessation for motivated patients. Although the above-mentioned interventions involve resources for pharmacological support, there seems to be no excuse for implementing simple interventions in Chilean hospitals, such as documenting the smoking status of each patient and offering brief counseling.