Submission ID 77949
| Code | OD-4-5 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Student |
| Title | Variation in the Standards of International Medical School Accreditation Agencies |
| Background/Purpose | Leading international authorities recommend medical school accreditation as a key regulatory strategy to ensure a high-quality health care workforce. One criterion in the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) Recognition Programme for accrediting agencies is that agencies must have comparable standards to the WFME global standards. This study explores the variation in accreditation standards among WFME-recognized agencies. |
| Methods | Between July and September 2022, we reviewed websites of the 28 WFME-recognized accrediting agencies for their accreditation standards. We mapped the standards for each agency to the current WFME guidelines and examined the differences across agencies. |
| Results | We obtained accreditation standards documents from 17 agencies. The number of accreditation standards and sub-standards ranged from 12 to 111 total elements. Some accreditation agencies did not address certain WFME standards, such as curriculum content and admissions, whereas others included additional standards, such as criteria for quality improvement and research. There was also variation in how similar accrediting bodies' standards were to WFME guidelines, with some using WFME standards as a template, others relying on standards not specific to medicine, and the rest having medical education standards that appeared specific to their context. |
| Discussion | Differences between the WFME global standards and agencies' accreditation standards appear to reveal different values, priorities, and needs of medical education internationally. Accrediting agencies have the opportunity to make public how they develop and revise their standards to explain why differences in guidelines exist. Highlighting the variation may guide the development of quality standards that can meet both local and global needs. |
| Keyword 1 | Medical school accreditation |
| Keyword 2 | Quality assurance |
| Keyword 3 | International medical education |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Undergraduate Medical Education |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Social Accountability |
| Authors | Yuxing Ma Yuxing Ma Sean Tackett |
