Implementing accreditation standards in academic medical programs is necessary to trust higher education: the experience of two academic programs at Qassim University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Quality assurance (QA) is becoming more critical in higher education (HE) worldwide. Quality in HE can be managed by QA, quality improvement, and quality control. This systematic review demonstrates the benefits of QA and academic accreditation in HE by examining the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) accreditation standards and two accredited academic programs at Qassim University (QU) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Methods: Elton B. Stephens Company (EBSCO) e-library was used to collect and retrieve literature from December 2022 to January 2023. Only English-language full-text papers were reviewed and cited.

Results: To assure medical education quality and encourage healthcare workforce confidence, medical educational institutions must be overseen by a QA system, such as a formal accreditation system. The World Federation of Medical Education set “Trilogy” global standards for quality improvement in medical education. The ambitious “Vision 2030” of KSA invests a large percentage of its Gross Domestic Product in education to address the significant challenges of educational quality management. The sole statutory organization in KSA that evaluates and accredits all public and private HE institutions and programs is the National Commission for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA). The NCAAA’s accreditation standards are generally acknowledged as good practice in HE worldwide and have been adapted to KSA higher education’s special circumstances. NCAAA has recently granted accreditation to two academic programs offered by the College of Applied Medical Sciences, QU.

Conclusion: Accreditation promotes “added value” under the win-win-win “WWW” paradigm, where stakeholders win first, then the program, and finally the community.