The first working conference on the revision of the Accreditation Standards for Basic Medical Education in China (2016) was held successfully

     In order to keep standards for basic medical education with the times, timely introduce the international advanced concepts of medical education and summarize the beneficial experience of Chinese Medical Accreditation practice, WCAME launched a new round of revision of medical education standards.

     On April 23rd, 2021, the first working conference, to revise the Standards for Basic Medical Education in China (2016), hereinafter referred to as the Standards, was held in Chenmao Hongxiang Hotel, Beijing. More than 20 people attended the meeting, including representatives of the Higher Education Evaluation Center of the Ministry of Education, representatives of the China National Medical Examination Center and members of the standard revision group. The meeting was presided over by Xie Ana, Secretary-General of  the  WCAME.

     At the beginning of the meeting, Professor Wang Weimin, chairman of the WCAME, introduced the standard revision of WFME and foreign accreditation institutions of medical education. Subsequently, Secretary-General Xie Ana, presented a new round of the implementation plan of Accreditation of Medical Education, and introduced the revision plan and basic principles of the revision of the 2016 version of the Standards. Combined with the practical experience of accreditation, the participating experts had a heated discussion on the new round of the implementation plan of Accreditation of Medical Education, revision principles and division of labour, and put forward valuable opinions and suggestions on the revision of the standards.

The standard revision team will revise the 2016 version of the Standards according to the international development trend of medical education and Chinese national conditions. Finally, Professor Wang Weimin summed up the meeting, pointed out the significance of the standard revision, and thanked all the experts for their support.

【Background extension】
     Standards are not only the basic requirements for medical education, but the reference system and code of conduct for the accreditation and evaluation of medical education. The WFME Global Standards for Quality Improvement, constantly revised and issued by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) has become internationally accepted consensus for medical education. In 1998, WFME launched the International Medical Education Standards Program, and in 2003 promulgated WFME Global Standards (2003). The 2012 Revision provides a template for accrediting bodies to define their own national or regional standards. In 2015 and 2020, the WFME Global Standards for Quality Improvement (2015 Revision) and the WFME Global Standards for Quality Improvement (2020 Revision) were issued by WFME.

     In 2002, with the support of the MOE, Peking University Health Science Center and the Medical Education Committee of China Association of Higher Education jointly held the Conference on International Standards in Medical Education, introducing the international standards of medical education and setting up the research team on the indigenization research and practice of international standards of medical education. On the basis of this research team, the MOE authorized the Medical Education Committee of Chinese Higher Education Association to set up the research team on the Quality Assurance System of Chinese Medical Education. Following an investigation of global standards, such as Basic Medical Education WFME Global Standards for Quality Improvement and other international or regional standards, the standards of Australia, Britain, and the United States, the research team formulated the Standards for Basic Medical Education (for Trial Implementation). These were endorsed by the MOE and the former MOH in 2008 as the legitimate basis for accreditation of medical education in China.

     Following this, in 2014 the Research Institute for the Reform and Development of Medical Education and Teaching of the MOE established a research team on “strategic study on the implementation of accreditation of basic medical education in China” (hereinafter referred to as research team). In the light of trends in international medical education and accreditation experience acquired over the past decade, the research team carried out a comprehensive revision of the Standards for Basic Medical Education (for Trial Implementation), finalizing the 2016 Revision through investigation and consultations. After extensive research and expert consultation, the research team completed the revision of Standards for Basic Medical Education (for Trial Implementation) in two years. On the basis of remaining the applicable content of the 2008 version of the Standards for Basic Medical Education (for Trial Implementation), Standards for Basic Medical Education in China (The 2016 Revision) is mainly based on the WFME Global Standards for Quality Improvement (the 2012 Revision) and takes into account Chinese cultural traditions, education systems and educational resources to make revision.

Secretariat of the Working Committee for the Accreditation of Medical Education
April 26,2021