Transforming medical education in Liberia through an international community of inquiry

Development of Somaliland national harmonised medical curriculum

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The rational for the Somaliland national harmonised curriculum (NHC) was driven by shared concern about the quality of medical education.

PROCESS

The Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Health Development produced a Medical Education Policy 2018. Policy objectives included the development of the NHC and accreditation for medical schools that met the standards of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). Two bodies were asked to oversee these aims: the National Health Professions' Commission (NHPC) and the National Commission of Higher Education (NCHE). Between 2018 and 2020, a collaborative approach between the Somaliland government, medical school stakeholders, King's Global Health Partnership's (KGHP) volunteers and the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) team was used to design the 6-years NHC. The NHC structure, content and delivery were grounded by WFME standards, health needs of the local population, student focused and active learning methods, and feasibility of implementation in medical schools.

OUTCOMES

The NHC comprises details about the educational outcomes, curriculum model and framework, educational principles, instructional and learning methods, core as well as optional content, and assessment strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

The approach used to develop the NHC ensured it is bespoken for Somaliland. Ongoing evaluation of patient and population needs, each medical school's review of programme implementation and outcomes will inform continuous revision and renewal.