Islamabad : The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has after completing the mandatory requirements to be eligible for WFME recognition of its Accreditation Programme applied to World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) to initiate the process.
In the first step, the WFME after assessing the PMC’s application has approved its eligibility for the WFME recognition of the PMC as an accrediting body and its Accreditation programme, said the commission in a statement.
According to it, the PMC and WFME will now coordinate to schedule the visit of the WFME’s international assessors who will undertake a site visit of Pakistan to inspect the PMC and its entire regulatory systems as well as physically inspecting multiple colleges recognised by PMC.
The entire process including physical site assessment and inspection is expected to be completed within 12 months and certainly before 2024.
The WFME recognition of the PMC and its Accreditation Programme will enable all colleges recognised and accredited by PMC to be considered as WFME accredited and graduates of these colleges licensed by the PMC would have the ability to train and work in the USA and internationally without any restriction.
Currently, the PMC and the Sri Lankan Medical Council are the only two medical regulators in South Asia who have been found eligible by WFME for its recognition process.
PMC will be launching next week an extensive National Recognition Program for the WFME recognition focusing on assisting all medical colleges in capacity building so as to ensure every college meets the new 2022 Accreditation Standards which are key to the WFME recognition. In addition Pakistani doctors association in the USA, APPNA, has agreed to provide its continued support to PMC to achieve the WFME recognition with its members providing their time and resources to assist in the national program being launched by PMC.
PMC has been striving to complete the mandatory requirements and develop the standards as per not only WFME standards but also on international best practices and ensuring that medical education is put on a path of constant improvement and attaining internationally recognized quality as well as ensuring that Pakistan’s medical education and doctors are duly recognised internationally.