US accreditation for HMC academic system

HMC has achieved the institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education – International (ACGME-I) thus becoming the first hospital system in the Middle East and making Qatar the second country after Singapore to achieve the top status by the US accrediting authority outside the United States. The accreditation, effective from July 1 this year so that medical residents specialising in the current year will be educated under the accreditation, indicates that HMC meets the highest and most rigorous standards for physicians’ specialty training. However, HMC has started implementing the ACGME standards since 2005. ACGME is the body responsible for accrediting the majority of graduate medical training programmes, such as internships, residencies and fellowships for physicians, in the US and the ACGME-I is the international arm of the ACGME. Under the ACGME-I structure, doctors in training programmes (residents) undergo specialist training supervised by dedicated senior clinicians after graduating from medical school. They are regularly assessed on their medical knowledge, clinical skills, professionalism, interpersonal and communication skills. This ensures the aspiring specialist doctors are well-trained and equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide excellent care by the time they finish their training which spans for four to six years. “I am immensely proud of our team for the collaborative effort in achieving this accreditation. This marks a major milestone in the transformation of HMC into an academic health system which was launched in 2011 as a vehicle to deliver the vision of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser for a healthy nation,” HMC managing director Dr Hanan al-Kuwari said. She noted that the accreditation was very good for Qatar as it puts the country on the academic map and places it as an international site where residents will compete to come and train, which in return will be very good for doctors and patients. “For residents, it secures them that what they’re achieving in Doha is the same level of education that they will get anywhere across the world. For the interns and residents, it means that the training they get here at HMC is equivalent to the training that is given in the US,” Dr Al-Kuwari stated. The official explained further that the accreditation was very important for HMC doctors, saying: “Because being a good teacher and trainer requires that you are always abreast with knowledge, that you’re always updated with the latest advances and pass that on to the residents, as well  as to the patients.” “For the patients, it’s an additional guarantee of quality. When you know that your residents are well-trained,” she added. Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, Medical Education director at HMC, said: “ACGME-I institutional accreditation ensures the organisation is providing a supportive, safe and effective learning environment for aspiring residents and fellows within Qatar and from the region and uniquely positions the corporation as a centre of excellence in this field.” ACGME-I executive vice president and chief operating officer John Nylen said: “ACGME-I congratulates HMC, its leadership, Graduate Medical Education office, programme directors, teaching faculty and residents in reaching this important achievement. In being accredited, HMC has demonstrated a solid foundation.”