AQA (Beyond Accreditation) – IFMSA-Egypt

Name of the activity: AQA (Beyond Accreditation)

Country/NMO: IFMSA-Egypt

Program: Medical Education Systems

Contact information: contact [email protected]  to get in touch with the Activity Coordinator

Type of the activity: First-time Activity

Category: Education

Focus area: Students’ involvement in medical education | Quality assurance and accreditation

Sustainable Development Goals addressed: SDG 4 (Quality Education)

General description:

As the medical students and doctors must receive education and training on adequate quality and standards to maintain a powerful healthcare system for their communities.

We worked on a wide level to help the medical students understand the importance of accreditation and quality assurance and how they can take an active role in achieving the accreditation, in order to have active and involved medical students.

Problem statement:

One of medical education goals is to prepare medical students to apply the latest knowledge, to promote health, prevent and cure diseases. However, only 18 of out of 27 Egypt medical schools applied for accreditation which may imply that we have at least 9 medical schools that aren’t qualified enough. 

Also, the pandemic reshaped and set limitations on our medical education. This raises great unease on whether the education quality is sufficient to provide practitioners able to fill the gaps.

Target groups:

• Medical students
• Healthcare Students
• Doctors

Beneficiaries:

• General population
• Other health professionals

Objectives:

Objective 1.1): To raise awareness of 3000 – 4000 Facebook, Instagram, and Tweeter medical students users about the topics of Accreditation and Quality Assurance, the effect of the pandemic, and distance learning on the quality of education, and promoting the development of current medical educational system problems through an online campaign by the end of April 2022.

Objective 2.1): To increase 30-60 medical students’ engagement in the process of Accreditation and Quality Assurance by the end of April 2022.

Objective 2.2): Increase the internal capacity building of IFMSA-Egypt’s members on medical education quality in improving the quality of medical education by the end of April 2022.

Objective 3.1): Taking action in IFMSA-Egypt’s implementation of quality assurance in non-formal activities through publishing a toolkit that helping in guide IFMSA-Egypt Activities by the end of April 2022.

Indicators of Success:

SI 1.1.1:

-At least 3000 reach, engagement and views will be achieved on Facebook and Instagram videos and posts by the end of April 2022.[Achieved]

SI 2.1.1:

-At least 30 participants will attend the AQA open discussion by the end of April 2022.[Achieved]

SI 2.1.2:

-At least 10 LCs apply for the posters competition by the end of April 2022. [Achieved]

SI 2.2.1:

-At least 70% of the participants will show improvement by 70%  by the end of the sessions by the end of April 2022.[Achieved]

SI 2.2.2:

-At least 300 total reach engagements on the shared internal Facebook videos with the other committees and divisions by the end of April 2022.[Achieved]

SI 2.2.3:

-At least 15 participants per session by the end of April 2022.[Achieved]

SI 3.1.1:

-The toolkit will guide at least 1 future activity and 1 future event on how they can improve the quality of the non-formal activities in IFMSA-Egypt by the next term.[Achieved]

Methodology:

1- Hold 3 CB sessions [19 March, 16 April – 2022]

2- Shared inputs form. [3 April 2022]

3- Conducted an online campaign on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook about AQA, its process, and the effects of the pandemic and distance learning on the quality of education.[18, 19, 20 & 21 April 2022]

4- Open a National competition where LCs can participate with a poster under the theme of Innovation in AQA in Medical Education. [24 April 2022]

5- carried an online panel discussion about the roles and involvement in the process of Accreditation and Quality Assurance.[25 April 2022]

The Panel Discussion covered:

– Students’ involvement in AQA

– WFME Global Standards including Standards for Distributed and Distance Learning

– National Academic Reference Standards (NARS)

6- Created and shared videos for other standing committees and divisions members about their roles in ME quality. [29-30 May 2022]

7- Created a document about quality assurance in non-formal education.[20 June 2022]

Plans for evaluation:

We had a two-step verification system by the Activity Coordinator and the SCOME National Team to monitor, assess, and evaluate the quality of every step in the activity.

We monitored the work through meetings with the Activity Team the coordinator.

-The impact monitored through number of LCs that reached us for more information about the topic to execute it locally and for consultations.

-The Online Campaigns were evaluated through the reach, engagement, direct feedback, and discussions on stories and tweets.

-Pre and Post Assesment used for CB sessions and Discussion.

-The judges evaluated the competition’s presenters and applicants based on a set of standards that were made clear in the competition’s announcement.

-The document will be assessed according to the number of activities implementing a quality assurance system and the development of IFMSA Activities.

External collaborations:

none