Introduction
The
epidemiological profile of Sudan is dominated by communicable diseases that are
frequently exacerbated by natural disasters. However, with changes in
socio-economic and lifestyle conditions, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are
now emerging, doubling the existing burden. According to the Global Health
Workforce Alliance, the health workforce density, there is 5.6 physicians per
10,000 population, this is beside migration of doctors oversees, necessitate
production of more doctors to cover the need of the health system in Sudan
This
Medicine program curriculum for Nahda College aims to graduate physicians who
are able to practice medicine in a responsible and professional manner. It
guides the students to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that enable
them to master the medicine competencies. The curriculum has been designed to be
community oriented, linking theory with practice, and meeting the recommended
goals. The curriculum will be delivered in five years divided into ten
semesters. It comprises of seven semesters of preclinical courses and three
semesters of clinical courses.
The
curriculum developed by a committee of medical education experts. The committee
had a diverse selection of members representing the various Schools,
Specialties, Experiences and Approaches. The committee conducted situational
analysis and a desktop review of a multitude documents guided by community
needs & the philosophy and values of Nahda College conveyed by founders.
The development of the curriculum was guided by the shifting in medical
education to be community oriented, student-centered, and field based.
Rationale
Despite the fact
that there is a number of medical schools in Sudan and graduated a reasonable
number of doctors annually, there is still need for new schools to contribute
towards the filling of the huge gap that exists between the number of doctors
needed and the numbers that graduate especially that the process of brain drain
is continuing. Moreover, the establishment of new schools that offer programs
& opportunities that produce high quality competent doctors is still a
necessity. The Nahda Medicine curriculum has been designed to meet the
challenges of educating competent doctors for the twenty-first century,
including:
•
Changes in delivery of healthcare.
Services are being moved away from in-patient hospital care towards day-care, out-patient
clinics and community settings. Improved diagnostic techniques and treatment
methods, enhanced community services and government policy have all contributed
to this trend
•
Changes to the public’s
expectations of a doctor
•
Exciting developments in the
methods of teaching and learning and in approaches to assessment
•
The expectations set out in the
medical education documents issue by major professional regulatory bodies &
medical education organizations (e.g. Tomorrow’s Doctors of the GMC of UK, the
Scottish Doctor of the Scottish Deans Committee, Can MEDS of the Canadian
Medical Council, MSOP report of the AAMC, Standards in Basic Medical Education
of the WFME, the Global Minimal Essential Requirements of the International
Institute of Medical Education, the Tuning Report of the MEDINE (Medical
Education in Europe) Thematic Network
In summary, the
international documents recommend a curriculum which:
•
ensures all graduates meet the
recommended outcomes
•
comprises a core, complemented by
opportunities for students to exercise choice
•
integrates basic and clinical
sciences to link theory with practice
•
prepares graduates for their
responsibilities as provisionally registered doctors
•
takes into account modern
educational theory and current research
•
provides students with a balance of
learning opportunities
•
takes advantage of new technologies
to deliver teaching
•
allows students to revisit topics
at different stages and levels
•
includes early and continuing
contact with patients
Vision
& Mission
Vision:
Our
vision is to become a centre of excellence for the provision of quality medical education, research & community
service
Mission:
The
mission of Nahda College of Medicine is to prepare physicians who would be able
to meet and respond to the changing health care needs and expectations of the
Sudanese Community and the international community at large. We also exist to
serve our community and contribute the knowledge of generation through the
engagement in research activities.
1.3 Key features
of the Nahda curriculum are:
•
an explicit statement of the
outcomes expected of students at each stage
•
a core curriculum with
student-selected components
•
the spiral nature of the
curriculum, with its three interlocking phases, allowing topics to be revisited
in more depth
•
a body-system-based approach,
providing a focus for students’ learning
•
a framework of over one hundred
core clinical problems to develop reflective practice
•
a range of educational strategies,
including elements of task-based and problem-oriented learning, community-based
learning, and approaches to teaching and learning that encourage the students
to take increasingly more responsibility for their own learning
•
an “assessment to a standard”
approach which emphasizes the overall outcomes of the curriculum and which uses
a range of methods including computer-based & online examinations, OSCE
(Objective Structured Clinical Examination) and portfolio assessment
•
Students are encouraged to develop
a partnership approach to their learning for professional practice. Students
and staff, as active stakeholders, have an important role to play in the
continuing development of the curriculum.
