The University of the West Indies Medical Schools which were formerly accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC), Great Britain will be the first in the region to undergo accreditation visits by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Medicine and Allied Health Professions (CAAM). The CAAM was formally established in 2004 by CARICOM Heads of Governments to replace the overseeing role of the GMC.
CAAMs immediate responsibility is the accreditation of all medical schools located within the participating countries of the CARICOM community.
Through accreditation, CAAM provides assurance to medical students, the medical profession, healthcare institutions and the public that undergraduate medical training programmes lead to qualifications that meet national and international standards of quality.
The standards set by CAAM are based on those compiled within the region in relation to the standards used by the GMC and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in North America.
The purpose of Accreditation is two-fold: to certify that an educational programme meets prescribed standards and to promote institutional self-evaluation and improvement.
Six main areas are covered in the accreditation process. They are: the Institutional Setting, Medical Students, the Educational Programme, the Faculty, the Educational Resources and the Internship.
The visit of the accreditation team is scheduled for April 2006 and teams on each campus are presently preparing documentation for submission to CAAM in January.
Further information can be obtained from the Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences or by contacting Mrs. Johanna Wynter at: johanna.wynter@uwimona.edu.jm, telephone: 927-2556 or 927-1297.