Steps to Become Accredited
About GMDC Accreditation
GMDC is recognized by the Government of Grenada, the U.S. Department of Education through the NCFMEA, and World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) as the authority for the accreditation of medical education programs leading to a medical doctor degree.
The Government of Grenada, through the Grenada Medical and Dental Council (GMDC), is committed to ensuring high quality medical education in the country. GMDC accomplishes this through the evaluation and review of medical programmes consistent with its standards and procedures which have met the approval of the U.S. Department of Education, WFME and other regional and internationalregulatory bodies. GMDC conducts regular internal reviews of its own policies and procedures, as well as frequent monitoring, communication and networking with its institution(s) to ascertain high standards in medical educational programs.
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is a review process and a status of quality within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and programmes that evaluates and ascertains the presence and level of quality through a comprehensive review process. To evaluate this quality, GMDC focuses on the institutional settings, curriculum, students, academic environment, faculty and institutional effectiveness. This process occurs every 5-8 years. Being accredited, therefore, means that a Higher Education Institution (HEI) and/or program has been assessed and evaluated by an independent agency, like GMDC, who validated their credibility against preestablished standards.
Why GMDC Accreditation?
GMDC Accreditation assures the public, applicant and students, employers, government agencies, regulatory bodies and professional groups that a medical educational program, leading to an MD degree or related qualification, meets accepted standards of quality for educational process and student outcomes.
GMDC Accreditation encourages medical education programmes to bolster their internal quality assurance mechanisms and to review their own operations (self-study) for continuous improvement in quality and accountability.
Accreditation affords the opportunity for an independent agency, such as GMDC to provide guidance to new and current educational institutions and programmes, based on noted trends in quality assurance.
As per the Health Practitioners Act 2010, and the Health Practitioners Amendment Act 2019, a medical doctor degree programme must be accredited by GMDC in order to legally operate in the State of Grenada.
Steps to Become Accredited
GMDC’s Accreditation Procedures Manual provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms and processes involved in the accreditation operations and procedures of GMDC. All stakeholders involved in the accreditation process should review the Accreditation Procedures to stay apprised of the current requirements and expectations for engagement in each step of the process. The following provides a brief summary of the steps involved in the accreditation process:
- An applicant program or institution must submit a written request to GMDC’s Executive Director of the Accreditation Secretariat. This letter may be submitted in hard copy to:
The Executive Director
GMDC Accreditation Secretariat
Benoit Complex
Grand Anse
ST. GEORGE
Grenada WI
- GMDC Reviews the application for eligibility and responds to the applicant institution/program (Step 3 assumes that the institution/program was deemed eligible to apply for accreditation from GMDC). If a school is deemed ineligible, GMDC will communicate this in writing to the Chief Academic Officer.
- For institutions/programmes already in operation: Submit documentation demonstrating that, at the time of its application, the medical programme (i) has continuously enrolled students for a period of ten (10) years or more and (ii) has been accredited for at least five (5) years by an accrediting body that is part of a national accreditation system approved by the NCFMEA or any other higher education legislative organisation/committee responsible for higher education/medical education.
- Submit an institutional self-study to GMDC.
- Submit a complete data collection instrument (DCI) to GMDC or any other information requested by GMDC.
- Cooperate with GMDC and its site visitors, for review team(s) to conduct on-site and/or virtual evaluation visits of the medical school’s main campus and selected clinical sites.
For new Institutions/programs. GMDC works in collaboration with the Grenada National Accreditation Board (GNAB) to determine the eligibility for operation and subsequent accreditation. At the time of its application, the new medical programme (i) must present its form of authorization to operate a business/medical program in Grenada (Articles of Association, Charter, Business license etc). (ii) must present the appropriate documentation that proves proof of ownership or entitlement to property where program/institution will be located (Title Deed, Leasehold, Freehold) (iii) must provide evidence of a sufficiency of qualified faculty and administrative staff to efficiently run a medical program/institution. (iv) must demonstrate a sufficiency of financial resources to support students for at least three (3) complete degree cycles. (v) (v) must present a complete dossier/institutional plan providing comprehensive information on institution/program (Mission, vision, Short, medium and long term strategic plans, building plans, projected student numbers etc).
GMDC reserves the right to request information in addition to that requested above.