WHAT IS ACCREDITATION?
WHY ACCREDITATION?
The accreditation process ensures that medical, dental, veterinary and other health professions schools meet standards of structure, function, and performance and assures society and the health professions that graduates of accredited schools meet the education requirements for further training and the health care needs of the people in the Caribbean. The accreditation process adopted by the CAAM-HP has two general aims:
- To certify that a medical education programme meets prescribed standards, and
- To promote institutional self-evaluation and improvement.
OVERVIEW OF ACCREDITATION
Through accreditation, the CAAM-HP provides assurance to students, graduates, the health professions, healthcare institutions and the public that undergraduate programmes leading to qualifications in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and nursing and other health professions meet appropriate national and international standards for educational quality, and that the graduates have a sufficiently complete and valid educational experience. Accreditation standards and the general policies of the CAAM-HP are described in Standards for the Accreditation of Medical, Dental, or Veterinary Schools or Degree Nursing Programmes in the Caribbean Community, available on the CAAM-HP web site at www.caam-hp.org.
Acting independently of the participating countries, the CAAM-HP makes periodic evaluations of the medical, dental, veterinary and degree nursing education programmes in CARICOM countries. A list of schools offering CAAM-HP accredited programmes can be obtained from the CAAM-HP Secretariat. The list is made available to the public through the CAAM-HP web site available at www.caam-hp.org along with the date of each programme’s next accreditation review.
Programmes judged by the CAAM-HP are awarded a state of accreditation according to the level of compliance with accreditation standards. See STATES OF ACCREDITATION of CAAM-HP.
TERM OF ACCREDITATION
An educational programme once accredited, remains accredited until the CAAM-HP terminates the programme formally or the programme itself terminates its accreditation status. If it is brought to the attention of the CAAM-HP that an accredited programme has ceased to exist and has not formally terminated its accreditation status, the secretariat should investigate the matter and report on the matter as soon as possible.
Accreditation does not end merely because a certain period of time has passed. Programmes typically are subject to review on a six-year cycle. The CAAM-HP may determine that an earlier review is necessary, in which case the accreditation status does not change until a formal action is taken by the CAAM-HP.
WITHDRAWAL OF ACCREDITATION
In the event that the CAAM-HP determines that accreditation should be withdrawn, the letter transmitting that decision will specify the date at which accreditation ceases. Withdrawal or other determinations other than Accreditation without Conditions may be appealed using the procedures described in Appendix G ‘Appeal Procedure for Actions Affecting Accreditation Status’.