Needs and gaps of faculty development for medical schools.

PURPOSE: Current faculty development (FD) programs are mostly limited to medical education and often lack a comprehensive and systematic structure. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the current status and needs of FD programs in medical schools to provide a basis for establishing FD strategies. METHODS: We conducted an online survey of medical school FD staff and professors regarding FD. Frequency, regression, and qualitative content analyses were conducted. FD programs were categorized into the classification frameworks. RESULTS: A total of 17 FD staff and 256 professors at 37 medical schools participated. There are gaps between the internal and external FD programs offered by medical schools and their needs, and there are gaps between the programs the professors participated in and their needs. Recent internal and external FD programs in medical schools have focused on educational methods, student assessment, and education in general. Medical schools have a high need for leadership and self-development, and student assessment. Furthermore, professors have a high need for leadership and self-development, and research. The number of participants, topics, and needs of FD programs varied depending on the characteristics of individual professors. CONCLUSION: Medical schools should expand their FD programs to meet the needs of individuals and the changing demands of modern medical education. The focus should be on comprehensive and responsive programs that cover various topics, levels, and methods. Tailored programs that consider professors' professional roles, career stages, and personal interests are essential for effective FD.

Differences in fear of failure and college adjustment by type of medical school entrance extrinsic motivation using a latent profile analysis.

PURPOSE: The decision to enroll in medical school is largely influenced by extrinsic motivation factors. It is necessary to explore the factors that affect pre-med students' motivation to enter medical school and their college adjustment, and to develop measures to help them adjust. METHODS: A total of 407 pre-med students were surveyed regarding their motivation to enter medical school, fear of failure, and college adjustment. We analyzed the latent profiles of extrinsic motivation factors using latent profile analysis. One-way analysis of variance was conducted to examine the differences in fear of failure and adaptation to university life according to the latent groups. RESULTS: After analyzing the latent profiles of entrance motivation, three latent profiles were selected. They were divided into high, medium, and low extrinsic motivation groups. Three profiles scored the highest on job security, followed by good grades and social status. Sophomores were more likely to be high extrinsic motivators than freshmen were. Fear of failure was high in the group with high extrinsic motivation, and adaptation to college life was highest in the group with low extrinsic motivation. CONCLUSION: Job security was the most important extrinsic motivator for entering medical school, and extrinsic entrance motivation influenced fear of failure and college adjustment. Given the high level of extrinsic motivation among medical students, it is meaningful to analyze the extrinsic motivation profile of entering medical students and how it affects failure motivation and college adjustment.

Knowledge sharing among academics from Egyptian medical schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Sharing knowledge among scientists during global health emergencies is a critical issue. So, this study investigates knowledge-sharing behavior and attitude among staff members of 19 Medical schools in Egyptian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Across-sectional study was conducted using a web-based questionnaire. A total of 386 replies from the 10,318 distributed questionnaires were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS (version 22) to summarize the demographic data. Inferential statistics such as the independent and chi-square test were used to achieve the study aims. RESULTS: More than half of the respondents (54.4%) indicated that their levels of knowledge of COVID-19 were good. Most participants (72.5%) reported that scientific publications and international websites were the most reliable source of their knowledge concerning COVID-19. More than 46% stated they sometimes share their knowledge. The lack of time to share and organizational culture were the most important factors that could affect their knowledge sharing. Additionally, about 75% of participants shared knowledge about treatment.

Crafting British medicine in the Empire: the establishment of medical schools in India and Canada, 1763-1837.

In the early nineteenth century, medical schools became a growing means of regulating medicine in the British Empire, both in the metropole and in two colonies: India and Canada. By examining the establishment of medical schools in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto between the end of the Seven Years' War and the beginning of the Victorian era, this article argues that the rise of the British Empire was a key factor in the gradual replacement of private medical apprenticeships with institutional medical education. Although the imperial state did not implement a uniform medical policy across the British Empire, the medical schools established under its jurisdiction were instrumental in devising a curriculum that emphasised human dissection, bedside training in hospitals and organic chemistry as criteria of medical competence.

Understanding of 'generalist medical practice' in South African medical schools.

BACKGROUND: In South Africa, medical students are expected to have acquired a generalist competence in medical practice on completion of their training. However, what the students and their preceptors understand by 'generalist medical practice' has not been established in South African medical schools. AIM: This study aimed to explore what the students and their preceptors understood by 'generalist medical practice'. SETTING: Four South African medical schools: Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Walter Sisulu University and the University of the Witwatersrand. METHODS: The exploratory descriptive qualitative design was used. Sixteen focus group discussions (FGDs) and 27 one-on-one interviews were conducted among students and their preceptors, respectively. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. The inductive and deductive data analysis methods were used. The MAXQDA 2020 (Analytics Pro) software was used to arrange data, yielding 2179 data segments. RESULTS: Ten themes were identified: (1) basic knowledge of medicine, (2) first point of contact with all patients regardless of their presenting problems, (3) broad field of common conditions prevalent in the community, (4) dealing with the undifferentiated patient without a diagnosis, (5) stabilising emergencies before referral, (6) continuity, (7) coordinated and (8) holistic patient care, necessitating nurturance of doctor-patient relationship, (9) health promotion and disease prevention, and (10) operating mainly in primary health care settings. CONCLUSION: The understanding of 'generalist medical practice' in accordance with internationally accepted principles augurs well in training undergraduate medical students on the subject. However, interdepartmental collaboration on the subject needs further exploration.Contribution: The study's findings can be used as a guide upon which the students' preceptors and their students can reflect during the training in generalist medical practice.

Medical school origins of award-winning physicians; analysis of a complete national dataset.

BACKGROUND: Educators and medical students share the same objective of achieving success in medical practice. Both groups consider doctors' successes to include optimum patient care outcomes and positive career progressions. Accordingly, identifying common educational features of such high-achieving doctors facilitates the generation of excellence amongst future medical trainees. In this study we use data from the British clinical merit award schemes as outcome measures in order to identify medical school origins of doctors who have achieved national or international prominence. METHODS: Britain has Clinical Excellence Awards/Distinction Awards schemes that financially reward all National Health Service doctors in England, Scotland and Wales who are classified as high achievers. We used these outcome measures in a quantitative observational analysis of the 2019-20 dataset of all 901 national award-winning doctors. Where appropriate, Pearson's Chi-Square test was applied. RESULTS: The top five medical schools (London university medical schools, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge) were responsible for 51.2% of the physician merit award-winners in the 2019-20 round, despite the dataset representing 85 medical schools. 91.4% of the physician merit award-winners were from European medical schools. The lowest national award-winners (tier 3) originated from 61 medical schools representing six continents. International medical graduates comprised 11.4% of all award-winners. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of physicians who were national merit award-winners originated from only five, apparently overrepresented, UK university medical schools. In contrast, there was a greater diversity in medical school origin among the lower grade national merit awards; the largest number of international medical graduates were in these tier 3 awards (13.3%). As well as ranking educationally successful university medical schools, this study assists UK and international students, by providing a roadmap for rational decision making when selecting physician and non-physician medical education pathways that are more likely to fulfil their career ambitions.

Medical school origins of award-winning psychiatrists; analysis of a complete national dataset.

BACKGROUND: Britain attracts doctors from all over the world to work in the National Health Service. Elucidating the educational backgrounds of award-winning doctors working in the country is potentially an important medical education issue and a merit award audit. Using the British clinical merit award schemes as outcome measures, we identify medical school origins of award-winning doctors who have been identified as having achieved national or international prominence. METHODS: The Clinical Excellence Awards/Distinction Awards schemes select doctors in Britain who are classified as high achievers, with categories for national prominence and above. We used this outcome measure in a quantitative observational analysis of the 2019-20 dataset of all 901 award-winning doctors. Pearson's Chi-Square test was used where appropriate. RESULTS: Five university medical schools (London university medical schools, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Cambridge) accounted for 59.1% of the psychiatrist award-winning doctors in the 2019 round, despite the dataset representing 85 medical schools. 84.1% of the psychiatrist award-winners were from European medical schools, compared to 92.1% of the non-psychiatrist award-winners. International medical graduates accounted for 22.7% of the award-winning psychiatrists. Psychiatrists with the lower grade national awards came from a more diverse educational background of 17 medical schools. IMGs represented diverse medical schools from five continents and were most represented in the lowest grade of national merit awards at 24.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the award-winning psychiatrists originated from only five medical schools. A greater diversity of medical school origin existed for the lowest grade national psychiatrist award-winners. International medical graduates contributed substantially to these award-winners; psychiatrist award-winners were more likely to be international medical graduates (22.7%) than non-psychiatrist award-winners (10.8%). This study not only indicates educational centres associated with the production of award-winners but also provides students with a roadmap for rational decision making when selecting medical schools.

An early-curricular team learning activity to foster integration of biochemical concepts and clinical sciences in undergraduate medical education.

The ability to connect key concepts of biochemistry with clinical presentations is essential for the development of clinical reasoning skills and adaptive expertise in medical trainees. To support the integration of foundational and clinical sciences in our undergraduate health science curricula, we developed a small group active learning exercise during which interprofessional groups of students use clinical cases to explore the biochemistry, diagnostic strategy, and evidence-based treatment options of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). We designed multistage learning modules consisting of (1.) low-fidelity case simulations of pediatric patients presenting with IEMs, (2.) guided group discussions on clinical biochemistry, differential diagnoses, and diagnostic strategies, (3.) oral presentations of clinical reasoning strategies, and (4.) discussion of relevant evidence-based medicine topics related to the cases. These modules Scientific Knowledge Integrated in Patient Presentations (SKIPPs) were added to a first-semester foundational sciences course serving five health professions programs. The assessment of learning outcomes by students and faculty shows that SKIPPs sessions are well-received activities that significantly improve trainees' ability to integrate foundational science concepts into clinical scenarios, to practice interprofessional teamwork and to develop clinical reasoning skills.

Immunization requirements in medical school accreditation standards.

Healthcare workers (HCW) are at risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases and spreading these infections to their patients. Vaccination against preventable diseases prior to clinical training can mitigate this risk. Accreditation guidance can be used as an opportunity to enforce desirable norms and standards. Standards from 144 national accreditation organizations spanning 123 member states listed in the Directory of Organizations that Recognize/Accredit Medical Schools by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research were reviewed and summarized. Findings were further stratified by World Bank income group and WHO region. While higher-income countries were more likely to have accreditation guidelines available than lower- or middle-income countries, few national medical school accreditation bodies specifically request immunization status of trainees as a standard. Further, almost none mention specific antigens for which immunity should be assessed. These findings should be used by medical school and other health professional training accreditation bodies to inform future policy direction to protect trainees as future HCW.

Conflict of interest policies at Australian medical schools.

BACKGROUND: Pharmaceutical industry exposure is widespread during medical training and may affect education and clinical decision-making. Medical faculties' conflict of interest (COI) policies help to limit this exposure and protect students against commercial influence. AIMS: Our aim was to investigate the prevalence, content and strength of COI policies at Australian medical schools and changes since a previous assessment conducted in 2009. METHODS: We identified policies by searching medical school and host university websites in January 2021, and contacted deans to identify any missed policies. We applied a modified version of a scorecard developed in previous studies to examine the content of COI policies. All data were coded in duplicate. COI policies were rated on a scale from 0 (no policy) to 2 (strong policy) across 11 items per medical school. Oversight mechanisms and sanctions were also assessed, and current policies were compared with the 2009 study. RESULTS: Of 155 potentially relevant policies, 153 were university-wide and two were specific to medical schools. No policies covered sales representatives, on-site sponsored education or free samples. Oversight of consultancies had improved substantially, with 76% of schools requiring preapproval. Disclosure policies, while usually present, were weak, with no public disclosure required. CONCLUSION: We found little indication that Australian medical students are protected from commercial influence on medical education, and there has been limited COI policy development within the past decade. More attention is needed to ensure the independence of medical education in Australia.

A content analysis of two african medical schools' antibiotic stewardship curricula.

Background: Antibiotics are precious substances that have saved millions of lives since their discovery, resulting in significant advances in modern medicine. However, antibiotic resistance and a slowdown in the discovery of new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action are affecting the sustainability of antibiotics. The objective of this study was to describe the content of South African and Nigerian medical students' curricula with respect to prudent antimicrobial prescribing. Methods: A content analysis framework was used to identify, describe, and count the keywords, key phrases, and sentences relevant to the teaching of prudent antimicrobial prescribing in the complete curricula content of two African countries' medical schools. The courses are taught in the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) curriculum (years 3-6) of the South African medical school and years 4-6 of the Nigerian medical school. The frequency of keywords/key phrases relevant to prudent antibiotic prescribing such as antimicrobial stewardship, mechanisms of bacterial resistance, and principles of antibiotic therapy was determined. Results: The two curricula reviewed were found to be different. While the South African medical school uses an integrated curriculum in the GEMP (a stream where candidates with undergraduate degrees are enrolled into the 3rd year of medical school and spend 4 years), the Nigerian medical school operates a traditional (discipline based) curriculum from MBBS 1-6. A greater number of keywords and key phrases were found in the South African curriculum compared to the Nigerian curriculum in relation to prudent antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial stewardship. The key phrase "antimicrobial stewardship" or "antibiotic stewardship" was absent in the Nigerian curriculum but appeared four times in the South African curriculum. Discussion: The findings of this curriculum review suggest a need for revision of the medical curricula of the two countries, to one that will better prepare learners for antimicrobial stewardship.

A Gap in Mission: The Disparate Missions of Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals.

Objective: The social contract mandates that in return for the government-funded labor of residents and fellows, the medical profession trains, to the best of its ability, the physicians of our future. This contract obligates graduate medical education (GME) to utilize all available information to create an optimal learning environment for its trainees. Business research has determined that a clearly defined mission statement is associated with improved employee engagement, retention, and wellness. Given that GME trainees are situated at the intersection of at least two institutions, each with its own separate mission, trainees could potentially be hindered by incongruent missions in the learning environment. The literature on mission statements has analyzed medical schools and hospitals separately; however, investigations comparing the statements of these affiliated institutions have not been conducted. Therefore, we plan to compare the content and assess the consistency of mission statements from affiliated medical schools and hospitals to determine if incongruencies exist. Methods: In 2023, the mission statements from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) medical schools and affiliated teaching hospitals (n = 163) were aggregated from their public websites. The content of each mission statement was thematically analyzed to assess variation. Results: According to content analysis of the mission statements from 163 AAMC medical school members and affiliated teaching hospitals, less than half of their top priorities are shared by their affiliated hospitals (45%). Additionally, themes of diversity, religion, and global care were found to be contrasting priorities between affiliated institutions. Conclusion: Given the precedence within the business and the observed discrepancies in mission, further research is needed to determine whether collaborating medical schools and hospitals could provide a more favorable graduate training environment by uniting their priorities and identifying shared goals.

Study of test anxiety amongst undergraduate medical students from the state of Gujarat.

BACKGROUND: Test anxiety is physiological and behavioral response that accompanies concerns about possible negative consequences of failure on an exam. Undergraduate medical students had their academics disrupted during COVID-19 pandemic. This study was done to assess levels of test anxiety among undergraduate medical students, its variance in relation to demography, COVID-19 pandemic, learning experiences, and individual factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Online questionnaire-based survey was done among undergraduate medical students from medical schools of Gujarat. Students from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years who were about to appear in final exams from March to June 2021 and were asked to enroll on the survey. Apart from demography, COVID-19-related factors, learning experiences during lockdown, 10-item Westside test anxiety (WTA) scale was used to assess test anxiety levels and Kessler Psychological distress (K10) scale was used to assess level of psychological distress. RESULTS: Total of 370 students participated. Mean WTA Score was 3.15 ± 1; 60.2% of the respondents had moderate or higher levels of test anxiety. On bivariate analysis, WTA score was found significantly associated with year of study, coming from vernacular medium, various lockdown-related issues (poor internet connection, family financial problem, lack of information, worry about future), various learning experiences (self-rated proficiency with computers, feeling ill prepared for exams, feeling ill prepared for practical), and K10 score. Of these associations with K10 score, coming from vernacular medium and feeling ill-prepared for exams were maintained on multiple-linear regression. CONCLUSIONS: Vernacular medium of study during high school was found associated with test anxiety among medical students and can be a potential area of intervention. There may be merit in using WTA scale as a surrogate marker for distress in medical students.

Expectations of Polish undergraduate medical students for medical humanities classes: a survey-based pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Medical schools teach Medical Humanities (MH) to provide students with knowledge about the human experience related to health, illness, disease, medicine, and healthcare. Due to the previously observed negative opinions about MH courses, we examined the expectations of medical students in Poland toward humanities subjects. METHODS: We conducted a voluntary, anonymous electronic survey in one medical school (single-center study) and collected data from 166 medical students. The results were analyzed by comparing continuous and categorical variables between groups (gender, year of study, previous participation in MH classes). RESULTS: The students expected to learn how to communicate with patients and their families, especially about difficult topics. They also expected the classes to be active, stress-free, and without passing grades. The preferred MH teacher was a physician, although choosing a psychologist or other qualified person as an MH teacher was also popular. Previous participants in MH courses were more likely to expect such a course to be compulsory than those who had yet to attend it. CONCLUSION: Considering the students' expectations when designing MH classes could increase students' satisfaction with MH courses.

Online education isn't the best choice: evidence-based medical education in the post-epidemic era-a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic led many educational institutions to shift to online courses, making blended education a significant trend in teaching. We examined the effectiveness of blended learning in an evidence-based medicine course. METHODS: We compared the examination scores of a blended learning group, an online only group, and a traditional offline group and conducted a questionnaire survey on students' preferences for different learning modes and the reasons for their preferences. A total of 2100 undergraduate students in clinical medicine were included in this cross-sectional study. Examination results were collected, and questionnaires were administered to the study participants. We compared the mean scores and exam pass rates of the three teaching groups using ANOVA and c2test for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The blended group's exam scores and pass rate were significantly higher than those of the offline and online groups. Furthermore, 71.6% preferred the blended teaching mode. In the survey on " learning effectiveness", the majority of the students believed that blended education could better enhance the initiative of learning, the interest of the course, the pertinence of the learning content, the comprehension of evidence-based medical thinking, and the basic skills of evidence-based practice. Subsequently, in a questionnaire administered to a blended group of students, their foremost reason for liking online instruction was 'flexible in time and space' (99%), followed by 'can be viewed repeatedly, facilitating a better understanding of knowledge points' (98%). Their foremost reason for liking offline teaching was 'helps to create a good learning atmosphere' (97%), followed by 'teachers can control students' learning status in real time' (89%). CONCLUSIONS: This study explored the effectiveness of learning in evidence-based medicine courses by comparing the learning outcomes and personal perceptions of three different teaching modes. This is the first cross-sectional study in which three different teaching models are compared and discussed in an evidence-based medicine course. We also elaborate on the specific instructional protocols for each model. This study shows that using a blended education approach in evidence-based medicine courses can improve students' learning motivation, autonomy, and satisfaction. It also enhances instructional efficiency, thereby improving students' understanding of the course content.

Female sexual dysfunction in undergraduate medical education: a survey of U.S. medical students.

Background: Physicians often report low levels of confidence in diagnosing and treating female sexual dysfunction (FSD), which may stem from inadequate education and exposure to the topic. Aim: The study sought to determine the extent to which FSD is covered in undergraduate medical education and evaluate student comfort with the topic and familiarity with treatments. Methods: We created a novel, 50-question survey to be administered online to any current U.S. medical student. Obstetrician-gynecologist clerkship directors at 146 U.S. medical schools were contacted and asked to invite any current student at their school to participate. A link to the electronic REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) survey was distributed to eligible students via the clerkship directors. The survey collected data regarding (1) coverage of FSD and male sexual dysfunction (MSD) in preclinical and clinical curricula, (2) student self-ratings of comfort in hypothetical scenarios in which a patient exhibits symptoms of FSD or MSD, and (3) student familiarity with treatments for FSD and MSD. Outcomes: Outcomes included the proportion of students reporting that their school covered FSD/MSD in its preclinical/clinical curriculum, the mean comfort ratings for each of the FSD and MSD scenarios, and the proportion of students indicating knowledge of various FSD and MSD treatments. Results: A smaller proportion of students (N = 236) reported receiving instruction in FSD (58.5%) compared with MSD (78.4%) in their preclinical curriculum (P < .001). Students' average self-ratings of comfort in the sexual dysfunction scenarios were significantly lower for patients with symptoms of FSD compared with MSD (P < .001). Students had higher average self-ratings of confidence in FSD scenarios if their intended specialty was obstetrician-gynecologist (P = .003), if their school included FSD in its clinical curriculum (P = .01), and if they had ever participated in the care of a patient with FSD (P = .006). Clinical Implications: There are important gaps in the coverage of FSD in undergraduate medical education that may be mitigated through improvements to curriculum and increased exposure to patients with FSD. Strengths and Limitations: This is the first study, to our knowledge, to directly survey medical students regarding their educational experience and comfort with FSD. Our study was limited by a small sample size, the use of a novel and nonvalidated questionnaire, and the potential for bias given our sampling method. Conclusion: Medical schools must work toward improving instruction in FSD for their students to address these disparities and improve students' comfort with the topic.

Cross-cultural Comparison of an American and a Taiwanese Medical School with Longstanding Institutional Ties.

Cross-cultural medical education has been suggested to train students to care for diverse patient populations and reform medical education systems. In this article, the authors conduct a cross-cultural comparison between two medical schools with a long-standing relationship - the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in the United States and the School of Medicine of National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan - focusing on history, admissions, and curriculum.

Importancia de la acreditación internacional de facultades de medicina

A partir de 2024, egresados de facultades de medicina que deseen hacer estudios de postgrado en los EE.UU o el Canadá, deberán graduarse en escuelas de medicina con programas educativos de calidad avalados por agencias reconocidas capaces de otorgar una acreditación internacional. La World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) es una de estas agencias. La WFME aceptó la nueva política de acreditación del Educational Committee for Foreign Medical Education (ECFMG) por la que médicos que postulen para la certificación del ECFMG del 2024 en adelante, tendrán que haberse graduado en un centro universitario de medicina acreditado por una agencia de aseguramiento de calidad que se encuentre reconocida por la WFME. El COMAEM (Consejo Mexicano para la Acreditación de la Educación Médica) está avalado por la WFME y otros organismos internacionales que aseguran la calidad de la educación superior. La acreditación que concede el COMAEM es un reconocimiento que el programa de medicina cumple con los criterios, indicadores y parámetros de calidad establecidos por este organismo. A partir de 2024, los egresados de un programa acreditado podrán postular para la certificación del ECFMG a través del examen de licencia médica de los Estados Unidos o USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) y así poder hacer una residencia de especialización o trabajar en EE. UU. En el Perú, solo la Facultad de Medicina Alberto Hurtado de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia ha completado el proceso de acreditación internacional a través de COMAEM y ha recibido dicha acreditación.

As of 2024, medical school graduates who wish to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. or in Canada, they must have graduated from medical schools with quality educational programs endorsed by recognized agencies, capable of granting international accreditation. The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is one of these agencies. The WFME accepted the new accreditation policy of the Educational Committee for Foreign Medical Education (ECFMG) whereby physicians applying for ECFMG certification from 2024 onwards, must have graduated from a university medical center accredited by a quality assurance agency that is recognized by the WFME. The COMAEM (Mexican Council for the Accreditation of Medical Education) is endorsed by the WFME and other international organizations that ensure the quality of higher education. The accreditation granted by COMAEM is a recognition that the medical program meets the criteria, indicators and quality parameters established by this organization. Starting in 2024, graduates of an accredited program will be able to apply for ECFMG certification through the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and thus be able to do a specialty residency or work in the U.S. In Peru, only the Alberto Hurtado School of Medicine of the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University has completed the international accreditation process through COMAEM and has received such accreditation.