The purpose of this guideline is to ensure that there is accountability and transparency in the appointment of persons authorized by the Accreditation Unit to undertake desk reviews and site visits for this purpose, and to provide general guidance to the reviewers appointed to undertake such a task.
The Accreditation Unit will call for applications from university medical faculty academic staff, as well as medical specialists and other medical practitioners experienced in teaching medical students, and registered with the SLMC, who wish to be considered by the Accreditation Unit of SLMC as reviewers.
- Eligibility criteria for selection to undergo training:
- Full-time academic staff attached to, or retired within five years from the medical faculties in state universities, with at least 5 years’ experience in teaching and examination of medical students and postgraduate students, at Associate Professor grade or above, in the specialties listed C below.
- Medical specialists employed or retired within 5 years from the Ministry of Health, with at least 5 years’ experience in teaching and examination of medical students and postgraduate students as a Specialist in a teaching hospital or as a member of the extended faculty, in the specialties listed C below.
- A minimum postgraduate qualification of MD/MS Board Certification or PhD.
- List of relevant specialties: Anatomy, Radiology, Biochemistry, Physiology, Microbiology, Parasitology, Forensic Medicine, Family Medicine / General Practice, Pathology, Pharmacology, Community Medicine / Public Health, Medicine and related subspecialities, Surgery and related subspecialities, Obstetrics & Gynaecology and related subspecialities, Paediatrics and related subspecialities, Psychiatry, Anesthesiology and Medical Education.
- Appropriately qualified applicants shall participate in a programme conducted by the Accreditation Unit, to acquaint themselves of the SER form, prescribed standards, review process and preparation of the Accreditation Report.
- Such persons will form a pool of trained reviewers.
- The members of the team for the Desk Review and Site visit for the relevant medical school shall be selected from this pool who should not have any conflict of interest.
- On receipt of an application for accreditation certification, the Accreditation Unit shall appoint reviewers to undertake the review ONLY from this pool of trained reviewers on a rotational basis.
- The SLMC Accreditation Unit shall appoint a team of at least 3-5 members, with an appropriate mix of specialists in the pre-clinical, para-clinical, and clinical disciplines, and expertise in medical education whenever feasible.
- The desk review and the site visit should be carried out by the full team.
- Any person appointed by the SLMC to a Review Team must submit a signed declaration in relation to conflict of interest, before embarking on a desk review and site visit.
- The Review Team shall be required to submit a comprehensive accreditation report within 2-3 months of the team receiving the SER. The Chairperson shall be responsible for submission of the report. The recommendation regarding accreditation certification must be reached by consensus among all team members. The report must be in a format approved by the Accreditation Unit.
- Reviewers should display a high degree of professionalism and integrity, including to act as an effective member of the Review Team.
- Reviewers are expected to display respectful professional conduct towards staff and students in the medical school under inspection; accept individual responsibility for assigned tasks within the Review Team; and accept collective responsibility for the decisions.
When fulfilling the role expected of a reviewer, the Accreditation Unit shall undertake to provide the following.
- Ensure that the arrangements made with medical school for review is adequate.
- Provide facilities to prepare the accreditation report
- Payment of an appropriate remuneration to each reviewer
- Transport and accommodation pertaining to the review visit