WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
Resolution REGIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN Sixty-second Session Agenda item 4(a) Medical education: a framework for action The Regional Committee, Having reviewed the technical paper on review of medical education: challenges, priorities and a framework for action;1 Recalling resolution EM/RC50/R.9 on the accreditation of hospitals and medical education institutions; Being aware of the importance of health professions education in promoting public health, strengthening health systems and progressing towards universal health coverage in Member States; 1. 2. ENDORSES the regional framework for action on medical education (annexed to this resolution); URGES Member States to: 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 3. Make use of the regional framework for action on medical education as a guide to implement national roadmaps for reform of medical education; Perform needs assessment of medical education at the national level, covering medical schools in the public and private sectors; Develop mechanisms to grant teaching status to selected primary health care facilities for training of students at all levels; Formalize systems of continuing medical education and, where appropriate, link it with the recertification of health professionals; Develop mechanisms and create opportunities for inter-professional education. EM/RC62/R.4 October 2015
REQUESTS the Regional Director to: 3.1 Provide technical support to Member States in making use of the regional framework for action on medical education for the development and implementation of national roadmaps for the reform of medical education;
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EM/RC62/3
EM/RC62/R.4 3.2 Organize a high-level regional meeting between ministers of health and ministers of higher education to achieve the higher level of coordination and collaboration necessary for the effective implementation of the regional framework on medical education.
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EM/RC62/R.4 Annex Regional framework for action on medical education Actions for Member States Priorities Short-term (6–12 months) Medium-term (13–24 months) WHO technical support
Governance, social accountability and accreditation Strategic priority 1: Strengthen the regulatory capacities of the governing institutions and provide standards and guidelines for establishing new medical schools Review and adapt national standards and guidelines for establishment of new medical schools based on the regional guidance developed by the World Federation for Medical Education and WHO Establish/strengthen regulatory capacity of governing institutions by make resources available to ensure new and old medical schools meet the required standards of medical education Develop standards and guidelines for opening new medical schools based on international standards and regional needs in collaboration with the World Federation for Medical Education
Strategic priority 2: Establish/strengthen independent national accrediting bodies that have the mandate and the resources to ensure quality medical school governance, including social accountability as an essential element
Develop national standards for medical education based on the regional accreditation guide and integrate social accountability in the standards Conduct training activities for deans and health leaders on social accountability
Strengthen national accreditation bodies by seeking accreditation with international bodies (World Federation for Medical Education) Implement social accountability standards by building partnership among medical schools and health service providers
Produce a guide on regional standards and build country capacity in developing an accreditation system for medical education Partner with international and regional networks to promote social accountability and develop workshops and other aids for educational leaders on social accountability
Curriculum development, student assessment and programme evaluation Strategic priority 3: Encourage schools to establish medical education units or educational development centres to review curriculum regularly and support faculty development Announce policy by governing institutions to establish medical education units in medical schools Make available resources to develop and strengthen faculty enhancement programmes Build capacity of educational leaders to review and reform curricula by offering structured courses Establish adequately resourced medical education units that offer medical education activities such as curriculum review and faculty development programmes Develop terms of reference and a guide for the establishment of medical education units
Strategic priority 4: Build the capacity of educational leaders to lead curricular reform that will result in curricula that are student-centred, communitybased, competency-based and integrated
Review and monitor the implementation of reforms that ensure curricula are contextual, competency-based, integrated and student-centred Assess effectiveness of curriculum reform by undertaking process and outcome evaluation studies Monitor the effectiveness, reliability, validity and educational impact of student selection criteria and update based on implementation experience Incorporate student assessment within curricula, and ensure it is well aligned with teaching and learning strategies and outcomes Establish a bank of high quality national assessment items to be shared by medical schools
Develop workshops and a guide for curriculum design and for evaluating the impact of different curricular approaches Disseminate successful experiences in curricular reform from within and outside the Region Develop a practical guide on the assessment, revision and update of student selection criteria Develop a regional guide/toolkit for establishing a comprehensive student assessment and programme evaluation system; and for the establishment of national assessment banks
Strategic priority 5: Develop merit-based student selection criteria, and establish valid and reliable student assessment and programme evaluation systems
Assess current practices, identify gaps and develop evidence-based, feasible, reliable criteria for student selection Assess the current practice of student assessment, and identify gaps and priorities Develop policies and regulations for student assessment approved by national regulatory and accrediting bodies
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EM/RC62/R.4 Actions for Member States Priorities Short-term (6–12 months) Medium-term (13–24 months) WHO technical support
Faculty development and enabling environment Strategic priority 6: Attract and retain competent teaching faculty, especially in basic medical and public health sciences, by adopting meritbased recruitment and promotion policies Review existing package of remuneration and incentives for faculty in basic sciences and public health and compare with regional and international market trends Review current criteria for recruitment and promotion of faculty and develop merit-based policies in consultation with the civil service commission Incorporate a list of minimum requirements for educational resources among standards when re-licensing existing or opening new medical schools Seek approval to mobilize additional funds, implement the new package, and monitor trends in retention of faculty in the country Endorse and implement meritbased criteria and policies for staff recruitment and promotion Undertake a comparison of remuneration and incentive packages for faculty in basic and public health sciences and disseminate information Convene a regional forum on migration and management of physicians in line with the Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Health Personnel Provide a list of optimum or minimum essential requirements for educational resources for a socially accountable and competency-based medical school
Strategic priority 7: Ensure adequate educational resources to promote student centred training, strengthened clinical training and increased use of primary care and other community-based sites
Monitor implementation and update the list of essential requirements to accommodate advances in education and health services delivery
Institutionalize partnership between academic and health care institutions for the use of non-hospital health sites for training and health care
Evaluate the impact of partnership between health service providers and medical schools on improvement in education and health services
Disseminate case studies of successful experiences of partnership between trainers and providers
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