ADOFEM submits a proposal for updating the norms of Medicine Schools of the Dominican Republic to MESCyt

The Dominican Association of Faculties and Schools of Medicine (ADOFEM) held an ordinary meeting with 11 Health faculties which integrated the Association and addressed as a central subject the review and update of the norms for approval, regulation, and accreditation of the Schools of Medicine in the Dominican Republic, drafted in 2012.

The norm has 25 chapters and was reviewed by all members of ADOFEM, during a workshop of more than six hours of length. 

The members reached the consensus that these norms do not apply to the global standards of the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME), the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions (CAAM-HP), or the standards at national levels to rule the plans of study, committees, formulation and other international processes; therefore the regulation should be updated in the next meetings of ADOFEM.  

The final document will be addressed to the offices of the Department of Superior Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT) as a proposal addressed to the Department of Medical Education to finally perform a multisectoral review to allow the creation of an updated regulation appropriate to the new times, with the norms to be submitted in all national and international evaluations for the accreditation of all Medicine Schools of the country.   

The directive discussed the importance of international accreditation and the processes to be developed in the following months with CAAM-HP. 

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena (UNPHU) and Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) have already submitted their documents following Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), the only institution whose school of Medicine is internationally accredited by CAAM-HP, in the year the other Dominican schools of Medicine should complete their steps before the international authority.

The meeting also approached the subject of the process of comparability performed by The National Committee on Foreign Medical Education.

The correspondent document was delivered, and now they are waiting for the response the following May, consequently, know the time of accreditation of the local schools of medicine; this will enable the management of the comparability with the schools of the United States and the direction of the federal loans, among other benefits for the national medical education. 

Another addressed subject was the Dominican Schools of medicine’s participation at the XX Pan-American Conference of Medical Education 2011 (COPAEM), held in Concepción, Chile, from April 10 to 16. Also, the Only National Exam for Medical Residences (ENURM) is to be held the following Sunday, March 6. 

The meeting was headed by Doctor Miguel Robiou, dean of the area of health at INTEC and president of ADOFEM, the event was at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM).

Universities composing ADOFEM 

• Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC)

• Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU)

• Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)

• Universidad Dominicana O&M (O&Med)

• Universidad Católica del Cibao (UCATECI)

• Universidad Católica Nordestana (UCNE)

• Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD)

• Universidad Central del Este (UCE)

• Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM)

• Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago (UTESA)

• Universidad Eugenio María de Hostos (UNIREMHOS)