Prospects for a National Clearinghouse on International Medical Schools

Abstract

ABSTRACT In 2006, a special committee appointed by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) issued its report on the “Evaluation of Undergraduate Medical Education” in the United States and abroad. Satisfied with accreditation systems already providing reasonable and adequate assurance for the quality of medical education in this country, the committee turned its focus toward international medical schools. Because international medical graduates (IMGs) comprise 25 percent of the physician workforce, U.S. medical licensing boards continue to seek meaningful information on the medical schools of their licensees. The report's recommendations included a call for close monitoring of efforts to provide international accreditation systems. One of the current initiatives being closely watched is that of the Caribbean Authority for Accreditation in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM). Under the auspices of the Caribbean Community, CAAM has established an accreditation system for medical schools in the region, carried out site visits and rendered decisions for a number of Caribbean schools. A complementary initiative currently underway by FSMB and ECFMG staff involves the development of a primer on IMGs and international medical education. This web-based resource is scheduled for completion in late fall 2008. The major recommendation of the special committee report called for the FSMB to work with state medical boards and the ECFMG to establish an information and data clearinghouse on international medical schools. A clearinghouse workgroup has already begun meeting and considering various quality indicators suggested by the special committee report such as admission requirements, policies relative to advanced standing and aggregate performance data on USMLE. The challenges facing the clearinghouse are significant. One approach being considered is to focus data collection efforts primarily on the eight to 10 schools currently supplying the largest number of IMGs seeking medical licensure in the United States.