Central Asian republics: a case study for medical education reform

Social, political, and economic changes in the former Soviet Union precipitated both the collapse of a once-centralized medical education system in the region and the development of individual models in its place. In the context of rapid globalization and international concerns about health, this development of "nation-based" models for the structure, content, language, and duration of instruction generated concerns about regional accreditation; workforce planning; student qualifications; residency training; continuing education; and infrastructure, such as access to literature, an adequate clinical training base, and links to certification and licensure. The World Health Organization acknowledges that the development of human resources for health is a complex and key element in reforming health systems. In Central Asia, international donor agencies facilitated the development of a regional council of rectors and a partnership consortium of medical academies as reform vehicles. International medical education organizations provide counsel and share their organizations' models, greatly facilitating the reform progress. The groups work to address both the political and regulatory environment and the professional and academic environment that affect the quality of medical schools. The council of rectors is establishing credibility as a regional nongovernmental organization that can advise governments about workforce planning, budgeting, admissions policies, accreditation, and licensure. The group sponsors faculty development workshops, bringing together regional educators around educational and institutional issues of mutual concern. Partnership academies collaborate to develop institutional and individual professional capacity, focusing on standardized evaluation, structure and content of the curriculum, pedagogy, and leadership development.