From February 8 to February 12, 2016 the survey team from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) will conduct the eight-year formal accreditation review of the MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP). The survey team, comprised of medical practitioners, basic science and clinical educators, educational researchers and administrators, will arrive in VFMP and will then fan out to the IMP, NMP and SMP to meet with faculty, staff and students in the MDUP.
Designated faculty and staff have written the content for the Data Collection Instrument (DCI) which is the narrative and evidence about the MDUP that will be provided to the survey team. Compiling the DCI is an iterative process and we continue to hone and edit so that it is as informative and accurate as possible.
Twelve Medical School Self-Study (MSS) subcommittees, chaired by the Department Heads and comprised of faculty, staff and students, have been steadily working since the beginning of the year to provide an arm’s length review of the DCI and the story it tells about the MDUP. Their final reports and recommendations are due at the end of June. These reports will then be synthesized by the MSS Steering Committee into an MSS Summary Report which will also be provided to the survey team.
The third component the survey team will look at is the Independent Student Analysis (ISA). In March 2015, the students conducted a comprehensive survey of all years across all program sites that included questions on student-faculty-administration relationships, learning environment, resources, student services and the medical education program. The final report, written by the students, will include the data collected, plus an analysis of their perceptions of the MDUP’s strengths, achievements and areas for improvement. Of note is that the response rate to the student survey exceeded all expectations – a testament to the enthusiasm and engagement of our students and a credit to their leadership.
The visiting survey team will review all of this documentation and the 2015 AFMC Graduation Questionnaire before they arrive. The purpose of the visit is to verify and update information in the DCI, clarify any issues that are unclear, view the environment and facilities for learning first-hand, and meet with administrators, faculty members, and students. The survey team will then make its report to CACMS on the MDUP’s compliance with each of the accreditation standards. CACMS then makes the determination on the MDUP’s accreditation status.
**Thanks to all who have contributed so far and please save the dates in your calendars – Monday 8 to Friday 12 February, 2016 – as you may be involved with or impacted by the site visit**