Enhancement of Accreditation Process in the Medical Colleges Symposium

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Apparatus for Supervision and Scientific Evaluation, through the National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges in Iraq, in cooperation with Al Ameed University/College of Medicine,, held a symposium on Thursday, October 31, 2024. 

National Assessors Visit to University of Basrah/College of Medicine

The College of Medicine at the University of Basra entered its second round of academic accreditation, having previously obtained conditional accreditation in May 2022. In line with NCAMC policy, the college re-applied for accreditation two years later. The accreditation team began its work, which culminated in a site visit from October 13 to 16, 2024, following a pre-agreed agenda. During this period, the team worked full-time, transitioning to part-time for two weeks to ensure they could complete their tasks thoroughly.

Student Selection Process

On September 5th and 12th, 2024, the National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges (NCAMC) in Iraq will conduct interviews with student candidates from various medical colleges across the country. The purpose of these interviews is to select two exemplary students to become members of the NCAMC. 

Quality Assurance Meeting

On August 22nd, 2024, the National Council convened a meeting featuring esteemed international expert and advisory board member Omar Mustafa. Dr. Mustafa, a consultant physician at King’s College Hospital and an honorary senior clinical lecturer at King’s College London, also serves as the Global Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians.

Meeting with International Expert

On June 27th, 2024, the National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges in Iraq hosted a meeting with International expert and members of the advisory board, including Professor Azim Mirzazadeh from the Department of Medicine and the Department of Medical Education at the School of Medicine, TUMS. 

NCAMC meeting with Deans of Medical Colleges

On May 30, 2024, the NCAMC convened a crucial meeting with Deans of Medical Colleges to discuss its future plan. Key highlights include achieving WFME Recognition Status for a duration of 10 years, addressing the policy of eligibility for accreditation, outlining the application process for accreditation, emphasizing monitoring of accredited colleges through a progress report policy, and actively involving students in the accreditation process. These efforts contribute to enhancing medical education quality across Iraq

Capacity Enhancing Workshop Internal Quality Assurance

Capacity Enhancing Workshop " Internal Quality Assurance" The National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges held a workshop focused on enhancing the capacity of its members concerning internal quality assurance. During this workshop, Professor Abduladeem Al Barak, the advisory member for the NCAMC, presented the principles and procedures to improve the internal quality assurance system and how these procedures ultimately lead to improving the productivity of NCAMC. Most NCAMC members attended this workshop, in addition to Professor Yusra Abdullah, the Head of the Accreditation Department in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Decision Meeting on Al-Qadisiyah College of Medicine

On May 9, 2024, the NCAMC accreditation decision board convened to finalize the accreditation stages of Al-Qadisiyah Medical College. The meeting was held over two sessions. In the first session, all nine areas were reviewed for their compliance with National Standards. The second session concerned the final decision on Al-Qadisiyah College of Medicine. The meeting concluded after the completion of the Quantum review.

ABC of self-assessment study

On the 25th and 26th of April 2024, an intensive training workshop was held at the UHK School of Medicine premises. The workshop was facilitated by NCAMC members and aimed to enhance the capabilities of self-assessment committees in crucial areas such as conducting self-assessment studies, generating evidence, crafting comprehensive self-assessment reports (SAR), and indexing these reports efficiently. Experienced lecturers from NCAMC members led participants through practical sessions, enriching their skills and expertise in self-assessment methodologies. The training delved deep into the practical applications of self-assessment studies, equipping participants with the necessary skills to conduct thorough studies and produce reports.

National Assessor Visit to the Diyala College of Medicine

The national evaluators` team of the National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges (NCAMC) conducted college evaluations. on April 22, 2024. The purpose of the field visits was to assess the college`s level of readiness and compliance with the standards  established by the National Council.

National Assessor Team Visit to Wasit College of Medicine

On April 21, 2024, the National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges  (NCAMC) carried out their duty of assessing colleges through their national assessors` team. The field visits were conducted to evaluate the college`s preparedness and adherence to the terms and standards set by the National Council. This is the final step in completing the accreditation process after a period of conditional accreditation. in completing the accreditation process after a period of conditional accreditation.

National Assessor Visit to University of Karbala/College of Medicine

The NCAMC, in the capacity of its national assessor team, conducted a one-week site visit to the College of Medicine, University of Karbala, beginning on April 15, 2024. This visit is the last one prior to the completion of the accreditation procedure following the expiration of the conditional accreditation period and the submission of the SAS report.

The Workshop for training the self-assessment study committees

The Workshop for training the self-assessment study committees “ ABC of self-assessment study ” 17-21 April/ 2024 Under the Patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / the Apparatus for supervision and Scientific evaluation and in cooperation with the Deanship of School of Medicine / University of Kurdistan-Hawleer, the National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges (NCAMC) is holding a workshop to enhance the capabilities of Self-Assessment Committees for the period 17-21 April / 2024  

NCAMC Panel discussion post WFME recognition

On April 15th, 2024. A panel discussion was convened by the National Council for Accreditation of Medical Colleges (NCAMC) to discuss its primary activities subsequent to receiving WFME recognition. The discussion focused on NCAMC`s future strategies for improving quality by monitoring the progress of accredited colleges through progress reports and by increasing student involvement in the accreditation process. 

Preparation for ABC of self-assessment study, practical application workshop

On April 2, 2024, a representative from NCAMC met with the Deanship of the School of Medicine at the University of Kurdistan-Hawleer. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the logistics and finalize the necessary steps for the ABC self-assessment study and practical application workshop. This workshop is scheduled to be held by the end of April 2024.