<p>SaudiMEDs and CanMEDs frameworks: similarities and differences</p>

Abstract

Background: The SaudiMEDs framework was founded and adopted by the Saudi Deans’ Committee in 2011 to ensure that Saudi medical graduates learned core competencies. Meanwhile, CanMEDs was established by the Canadian Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1996 and aimed to establish the abilities and skills of all aspects of medical practice, as well as to ensure the acquisition of basic knowledge related to medical education. The main purpose of this study was to explore the similarities and differences between both frameworks. Methods: In March and April 2017, 15 researchers conducted an extensive review of both the SaudiMEDs and CanMEDs frameworks using a semi-quantitative evaluation with color codes to determine the following: the exact similarities in both frameworks, the close similarities, and the unique differences. Results: According to the coloring system, most of the frameworks were similar. For example, Leadership, Communication and Professionalism were almost identical in both frameworks. There was some degree of similarity between both frameworks in “Collaborator”. Furthermore, the SaudiMEDs framework had a unique input which involved the most essential skills that undergraduate medical students must acquire. Conclusion: SaudiMEDs has great potential to improve the quality of Saudi medical graduates in a manner that fits our current and future needs. CanMEDs focuses mainly on outcomes and processes, while SaudiMEDs focuses more on outcomes. SaudiMEDs was not created to provide a copy-and-paste curriculum. The ultimate goal was to create an outcome-based curriculum that ensures the quality of Saudi medical school graduates.

Perception of Saudi Undergraduate Students Towards Professionalism in Medicine

“…Therefore, the SaudiMED framework recognises professionalism as one of the six competencies required by Saudi medical graduates. 24 These tenets include a scientific approach to practice, patient care, community-orientedpractice, communication and collaboration, professionalism and research and scholarship. Essential methods for promoting professionalism include creating an educational environment that promotes the development of positive attitudes towards professionalism among undergraduate medical students.…”

“…Essential methods for promoting professionalism include creating an educational environment that promotes the development of positive attitudes towards professionalism among undergraduate medical students. 24 Professionalism among medical graduates can be ensured only if sincere efforts are made to effectively measure it using reliable instruments. Therefore, perfecting tools to measure professionalism has been a focus in recent years.…”

Do Saudi medical schools consider the core topics in undergraduate medical curricula?

“…Communication skills were a component of all Saudi medical curricula. Because communication is an essential skill for any medical professional, this was clearly emphasized in the SaudiMEDs Framework initiative [ 3 , 7 ]. Moreover, communicative training is one of the primary educational tasks of higher medical education in the United States.…”

“…It aimed to harmonize the Saudi Medical Higher Education Sector [ 3 ]. The SaudiMEDS framework has great potential to improve the quality of Saudi medical graduates to meet current and future needs [ 7 ]. Medical curriculum planners should ensure that core topics such as professionalism, communication skills, evidence-based practice, patient safety, healthcare systems, research methods, and other essential topics are part of the undergraduate medical curriculum [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Developing and Mapping Entrustable Professional Activities with Saudi Meds Competency Framework: A Consensus Study

“… 7 In line with competency-based training models, a recent development is the Saudi Meds competency framework 8 designed for Saudi undergraduate medical programs. This framework was designed in response to the national “Saudi Future Doctor” vision 9 and is serving as a benchmark in the national implementation program “Saudi Medical Education Directives-Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia.” 10 The resulting framework outlines six overarching competency domains (i.e., patient care, scientific approach, research and scholarship, professionalism, communication and collaboration, and community-oriented practice) and 30 associated competencies that are expected of medical graduates and reflect the principles of professional medical practice in Saudi Arabia. 8 The essential purpose of designing this framework was not to use it as a unified national curriculum, but as a national framework that can ensure equivalent standards across all Saudi undergraduate training programs.…”