KingAbdullah Research

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King Abdullah Research Consulting Institute
King Saud University
Strategic Plan for Health Professions Education
in Saudi Arabia 2006 - 2031
Khalid Bin Abdulrahman, MD Team Leader Vice-Dean
for Postgraduate Med Education College of
Medicine, King Saud University
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Contents

• Background
• Where are we going?
• Where are we now?
• How to go their?

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Main tasks of the study team
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The study teams adopted methodologies chosen
based on the theme of the study to arrive to
sound and applicable conclusions.
Retrieval of literature, journal articles,
data and official statistics. Seeking the help
of Experts. Symposia and Workshops. Brainstormin
g Sessions. Visits and Interviews. Field
Studies.
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Countries experience reviewed
Wide geographic distribution was considered to
find the most suitable trends of health education.
Experiences of countries from North America
(United States and Canada), countries from Europe
(United Kingdom, Germany ..), countries from Asia
(Japan, Malaysia ..) and Australia were reviewed.
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The Current Number of Health Colleges in Saudi
Arabia
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Existing Status of Health Workers in Governmental
and Private Sectors
The ratio of workers in the health field to
population was as follows
1 577 for physicians 1 3035 for
dentists 1 1739 for pharmacists 1 568
for nurses 1 1366 for applied medical
sciences
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The Target ratio

• 1 500 for physicians
• 1 2000 for dentists
• 1 1739 for pharmacists
• 1 300 for nurses
• 1 300 for applied medical sciences

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Percentage of Saudis in Health Professions
21.4
14.4
15.9
Physicians
Pharmacists
Dentists
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Nurses
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The health education outcomes, in terms of
numbers and specialties, are not fulfilling the
current and future needs of the job market.
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The study of students' perception about
educational environment showed significant
problems in the educational environment of health
colleges. Results showed that
Educational environment at King Saud University
and some other Saudi universities is below
expectations and less than what is supposed to be
compared with some developed countries.
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the learning and the teachers' domains are the
most frequently criticized among the educational
environment domains.
The survey study about the most important
characteristics the patients like to see in their
health practitioners showed that there is a great
need to teach communication skills as an integral
part of the health colleges curriculum.
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New VS Traditional Undergraduate Medical
Curricula

• S tudent centered..Teacher centered
  P roblem-based.Lecture-based I
  ntegrated..Discipline-based C
  ommunity-basedHospital-based E
  lective..Standard program S
  ystematic.Opportunistic

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New VS Traditional Undergraduate Medical
Curricula

• S tudent centeredTeacher centered P
  roblem-based..Lecture-based I
  ntegrated...Discipline-based C
  ommunity-basedHospital-based E
  lective..Standard program S
  ystematic.Opportunistic

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The Top Ten Problems

• The quality and quantity of health professions
  education Outcomes in General
• Equipment and Information Technology
• Salaries and Incentives
• Job Satisfaction
• The Curricula

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• Competency and Development of Faculty Members.
• Availability of Faculty Members of both genders.
• Training and Educational Constructions and
  Facilities.
• Educational Environment
• 10.Students community involvement

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Making utmost endeavors to place Saudi
universities in the leading front of
internationally-recognized universities in health
professions education through the creation of a
comprehensive undergraduate health professions
education system with high quality. This system
is capable of graduating highly proficient
national health professionals to satisfy the
needs of the health sector of various health
specialties.
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The provision of highly efficient comprehensive
university health education that satisfies the
needs of the Saudi society and governmental and
private sectors of qualified health professionals
who are characterized by honesty and
professionalism, and capable of pursuing
postgraduate studies and continuing professional
education. The health professions education is in
compliant with international trends taking into
consideration the various students' needs and
achieving the requirements of academic
accreditation.
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Professionalism. Sincerity and Honesty.
Consideration of jurisprudence
guidelines. Quality. Innovation. Comprehensiveness
and Diversity. Continuing development.
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Three Stages
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(Basic pivots in the implementation of the future
plan)
Its duration is three years and includes
Establishing a deputyship in the Ministry of
Higher Education to manage and execute the
strategic plan,
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Establishing the National Commission for Health
Professionals Education which should be directly
linked to the Royal Court.
Establishing data base networking that connects
all university or non-university health sectors.
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sets appropriate regulations and bylaws to
establish a strong institutional connection
between health sectors from one side and
undergraduate health education institutions on
the other side
Upgrade the bylaws that control faculty affairs
including incentives and salaries to make the
health education institutions more attractive
to motivate teaching excellence and creativity
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Upgrade the administrative financial system
that based on flexibility and decentralization to
assist and support the educational process.
Increasing the governmental funding to cover the
budgets of this stage and the next stage, and
preparing the appropriate organization that
insures fast and effective handling.
Supporting the recently emerging colleges
financially and administratively, and building
their necessary infrastructure.
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(Developing Educational Environment and Study
Plans)
The duration is five years. Some of the items of
this stage can be started prior to the end of the
first stage. This stage includes
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The National Commission for Academic
Accreditation and Assessment imposes its
conditions on all health colleges, governmental
and private. The health colleges in this stage
should be committed to revising health education
programs and study plans according to the
criteria approved by the commission. The
commission should periodically reassess health
colleges at the end of this stage and should
suspend admission to colleges that do not comply
with set criteria.
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Furnishing an academic environment supportive of
distinction, creativity and innovation for
faculty as well as establishing the necessary
basis for this within the criteria of academic
accreditation.
Furnishing an educational and training
environment supportive and encouraging to
students of both sexes, while considering the
special needs of female students and their social
circumstances.
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Updating the infrastructure of the existing
undergraduate health institutions to keep pace
with developments in information and
communication technologies and employing them in
the administration of undergraduate health
institutions and academic programs in terms of
syllabus and teaching methods and assessment.
Involving the students and the society and
taking into consideration their needs in health
education process and related activities.
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Emphasizing the quality assurance of faculty, and
subjecting them to perpetual assessment.
Establishing a health professionals education
unit in each health college where the task of
this unit is taking care of health education in
terms of development, revision and research.
Increasing the number of faculty members of both
sexes to achieve a ratio of (teacher student)
comparable to that of the international standards.
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These include
The expansion in the establishment of new
colleges according to the suggested plan.
Establishment of specialized health universities
in the big cities.
The universities and the National Commission for
Academic Accreditation and Assessment assume
monitoring the latest developments of successful
health education in the experiences of other
countries.
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Keeping pace with information and communication
technologies and employing them in the
administration of undergraduate health education
institutions and academic programs.
Expanding and diversification of nongovernmental
financial resources for educational institutions.
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Following up the job market need in the
governmental and private sectors, pinpointing the
country's needs of health specialties and
handling in the universities resources
accordingly.
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The Ministry of Higher education should continue
the necessary steps to place the Saudi
universities on the leading front of
international universities in health
professionals education.
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In the end, we extend our thanks and gratitude to
all those who participated in this study through
planning, execution, discussion, revision or
scrutinizing for their sincere and productive
efforts, enlightening thoughts and invaluable
remarks that have great impact on this study.