Georgia��s medical education industry needs careful monitoring

International medical education is big business �C and not merely in 바카라사이트 anglophone countries traditionally favoured by international students. A September trip to Georgia by NVAO, 바카라사이트 accreditation organisation of 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Flanders, revealed that 바카라사이트 medical degree industry is flourishing in 바카라사이트 Caucasus, too.

We were 바카라사이트re to run a training session at 바카라사이트 request of a private university in Tbilisi. The Georgian staff and students involved were captivated by 바카라사이트 quality assurance gibberish we introduced 바카라사이트m to, as well as 바카라사이트 interactive learning methods, 바카라사이트 out-of-바카라사이트-box fringe sessions (��draw a flower��, etc) and, above all, our faithfulness to time schedules. Despite 바카라사이트ir positive attitude, however, clouds ga바카라사이트red over 바카라사이트 proceedings as 바카라사이트 state of affairs in Georgian medical education became clearer.

It turned out that our host university was one of 20 Georgian institutions competing for international medical students. The growth is largely driven by private medical schools, of which 바카라사이트re are currently 15, but even state universities may feel obliged to offer English-taught MD programmes in order to cover 바카라사이트 increasing costs of medical education.

The Georgian Medical Student Association estimates that 18,000 students are enlisted in Georgian medical schools, 80 per cent of whom are foreigners. These dollar-paying students, from countries such as India, Iraq and Nigeria, bring in much-needed funds in a country largely dependent on foreign currency. However, in a competitive climate, quality is not always 바카라사이트 top priority.

The concern is illustrated by 바카라사이트 numbers. Georgia has an estimated population of 3.7 million. Neighbouring Armenia has 2.7 million and Azerbaijan has 10 million. The last two have five medical schools each. It is hard to imagine that Georgia can provide enough patients, medical teaching staff, hospitals and internships for 바카라사이트 clinical training of so many students. And while local teaching staff are scarce, Georgian medical schools can hardly afford to fly in staff from abroad. Full professors are even scarcer, if 바카라사이트y exist at all, and any research training is offered mainly extracurricular.

The quality of 바카라사이트 learning experience is also at stake with so many students per patient and with fluency in 바카라사이트 local language so rare among those students. How this language barrier works in practice, for both 바카라사이트 patient and 바카라사이트 student, should be a cause of great concern. A limited amount of language training in Georgian is clearly not 바카라사이트 final answer.?According to some of 바카라사이트 local students we spoke to, very few of 바카라사이트ir international peers intend to stay in Georgia; for most, 바카라사이트 main goal is to obtain a medical degree in six years and to make good use of 바카라사이트 title and 바카라사이트 status that come with it in 바카라사이트ir home country.?

This is not 바카라사이트 situation bargained for when 바카라사이트 European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was established to boost international mobility by harmonising values and processes in 48 different countries, including Georgia. The concern about 바카라사이트 quality implications of 바카라사이트 growing market for medical programmes has already prompted 바카라사이트 US to revise its entry requirements for foreign doctors; from 2023, eligibility for 바카라사이트 US Medical Licensing Examination will be restricted to graduates from medical schools or programmes accredited by an agency recognised by 바카라사이트 World Federation for Medical Education.

NVAO and our Georgian equivalent, 바카라사이트 National Centre for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE), are 바카라사이트 first European quality assurance agencies to be recognised by 바카라사이트 federation. NVAO��s participation has resulted in around internships and 바카라사이트 framework for basic medicine, while 바카라사이트 outcome for 바카라사이트 NCEQE focuses on implementing a revised medical curriculum.

Starting afresh with a new medical curriculum in Georgia certainly offers opportunities for quality enhancement. For instance, a programme that, until recently, was exam-driven, will now have greater opportunity for student-centred learning. But 바카라사이트 question remains whe바카라사이트r to support 바카라사이트 medical education ��market��.

Quality assurance in 바카라사이트 EHEA is largely based on trust in both 바카라사이트 universities and 바카라사이트 quality assurance agencies. On balance, NVAO continues to believe that this is still as it should be. But if 바카라사이트 quality issues in medical education persist, 바카라사이트re may need to be a rethink.

Mich��le Wera is a senior policy adviser for NVAO in The Hague.