UG Medical School seeks reaccreditation

Jun 18, 2016 News

– UG Vice Chancellor to spearhead effort

The 10th Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith, has as his top priority the re-accreditation of the University’s Medical School. This was expressed, yesterday, at his first press conference since becoming Vice

Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith

Chancellor of the nation’s premiere tertiary institution.
According to the professor, the university is feeling comfortable with the position it is in, regarding the works which were done to the school since losing its credibility in July 2015.
Later this year, a site team will visit the Turkeyen Campus and with its approval; the university will be setting the stage for full accreditation. The team will be coming from the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professionals.
The CAAM-HP was established in 2003 with support of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Its mandate entails the determination and prescription of standards and to accredit programmes of medical, dental and veterinary health professionals.
The accreditation authority had withdrawn the certification of the medical school due to the lack of infrastructural improvements, the absence of a review of the curriculum and for there not being a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Public Health, University of Guyana School of Medicine and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
Dr. Griffith said, yesterday, “There were three of four distinct concerns relating to the medical school.” He continued “one of them (concerns) had to do with facilities.” He said that the medical school is currently in the process of upgrading.
He added that the school has a relationship with the GPHC. That arrangement requires the students using the facilities at the hospital. As such those facilities will need to be enhanced and according to Griffith, the process has started.
The Vice Chancellor also recognized that there needs to be the regularization of the teaching and clinical staff of the school’s medical program. Griffith noted that fixing these issues are not relative to the accreditation issue specifically, but are necessary for improving the medical program which the university offers its students.
Dr. Griffith later informed the media that the curriculum for the school also needs upgrading for it has not been changed significantly since the 1990s. The Vice Chancellor is hoping that all the necessary changes and upgrades are completed before the site team visits in September or October later this year.