Accreditation science—the need for evidence to guide the global expansion of medical education accreditation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21447563 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sean Tackett (0000-0001-5369-7225, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, corresponding author), Ahmed Rashid (0000-0002-8443-1240, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London), Mohammed Ahmed Rashid (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Cynthia Whitehead (0000-0002-0134-9074, University of Toronto), David Rojas (0000-0002-2351-3744, University Health Network), Roghayeh Gandomkar (0000-0002-7262-6243, Tehran University of Medical Sciences) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-12 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medical Teacher (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0142-159X • E-ISSN: 1466-187X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0142159x.2026.2623978 |
| PMID | 41622573 |
| OpenAlex | W7127054786 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 99 |
Accreditation systems create and enforce the rules for medical education. When accreditors expand their scope or change their standards or protocols, every medical school they regulate must change, with lasting impacts on large numbers of graduating physicians. Because the accreditation of undergraduate medical education (UME) has become globally accepted and widespread, one may assume it is supported by strong evidence. Such is not the case. This article recounts the origins of accreditation in the U.S. over 100 years ago as an effort to distinguish allopathic physicians from their competitors. It describes how the U.S. model for UME accreditation formed the basis for approaches endorsed by global organizations, and accreditation expanded without research demonstrating that a specific combination of standards, self-studies, and site visits was optimal or necessary. Allowing assumptions about accreditation to go unchecked can create problems, such as the misalignment of accreditation systems with needs, wasted resources, and lack of trust. Accreditation science-systematic inquiry that directly interrogates and informs accreditation policies and practices-offers a way to test assumptions and generate evidence that leads to higher quality accreditation practices. We describe resources that can be used for accreditation science and examples of accreditation science so that more of the global medical education community can participate in this emerging field. We also suggest priority areas of investigation, such as how accreditation judgments are made and the economics of accreditation and international accreditor marketplaces. The scientific method has for centuries proven to be the most efficient way to generate knowledge that improves the lives of people. It is past time for accreditation to move from its longstanding basis in tradition and assumption into an era defined by scientific inquiry
Accreditation · Certification and Accreditation · Higher education · Quality (philosophy) · Scope (computer science) · Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills · Healthcare Quality and Management · Innovations in Medical Education
Global research agenda for medical education regulation
Faster, higher, stronger – together? A bibliometric analysis of author distribution in top medical education journals
Decolonising medical education regulation
Medical School Accreditation Factors Associated With Certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
Institutional Accountability for Students With Disabilities
Moving Accreditation Forward With Accreditation Scholarship
The Relationship Between Accreditation Cycle and Licensing Examination Scores
Reimagining the Medical School Accreditation Process in a Rapidly Changing Health Care Environment
The Scope of Social Mission Content in Health Professions Education Accreditation Standards
Accreditation of Canadian Undergraduate Medical Education Programs
Competent to provide compassionate care? A critical discourse analysis of accreditation standards
First‐round accreditation and pass rates on licensing examination at different medical schools in China
Multifarious methods in the pursuit of quality
Power/knowledge
Quality assurance in health professions education
Altruism or nationalism? Exploring global discourses of medical school regulation
To prove or improve? Examining how paradoxical tensions shape evaluation practices in accreditation contexts
Evidence medical schools are meeting accreditation standards
Did the students’ satisfaction rates at Avalon University School of Medicine correlate with the occurrence of accreditation site visits
Redefining scholarship for health professions education
Social accountability
Examining the WFME Recognition Programme at 10 years
Understanding impacts of accreditation on medical teachers and students
Applying North American medical education accreditation standards internationally in the United Arab Emirates
Medical Education Reform Efforts and Failures of U.S. Medical Schools, 1870-1930
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |