1. The Process of Medical Curriculum Development in Malaysia
- Author
-
V. K. E. Lim
- Subjects
Medical education ,Medical curriculum ,business.industry ,Process (engineering) ,education ,Medical school ,Medicine ,Christian ministry ,business ,Curriculum ,humanities ,Unit (housing) ,Accreditation - Abstract
The first medical school established in Malaysia was the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Malaya in 1963 (Danaraj, 1988). Today, there are 33 medical schools, both public and private. All medical schools require accreditation by the National Accreditation Board and the Malaysian Medical Council. These two regulatory bodies set the minimum standards for accreditation and they include standards that pertain to curricular issues. Apart from adhering to major broad principles, medical schools generally are given a free hand in designing and developing their own curricula. The faculty members of the school determine the nature of the curriculum with the dean playing a vital role in moderating competing demands from the various academic departments. The influence of the Medical Education Department or Unit varies. The Ministry of Health, as the predominant employer of doctors, gives regular feedback to the deans on the performance of their graduates. There has not been any major initiative to involve other important stakeholders, including the public, in the design and development of medical curricula in the country.
- Published
- 2012