You are here:

• Home
• Publications
• GMCtoday archive
• Education
• Assuring quality

All the latest news and views from GMC

Features: Assuring quality

25 May 2009

The GMC's quality assurance teams are set to visit a new group of medical schools.

The GMC’s quality assurance teams are set to visit a new group of medical schools as part of our overarching remit of ensuring standards in medical education.

The teams are responsible for two programmes: Quality Assurance of Basic Medical Education (QABME) which involves visiting medical colleges; while the other teams visit Postgraduate Medical Deaneries as part of the Quality Assurance of the Foundation Programme (QAFP).

The assessments of basic medical education can take up to three months. Professor Jim McKillop, Chair of the GMC Undergraduate Board and former QABME team leader, said: ‘All visiting teams have a wide range of membership and expertise. The extended interactions of the team and the school increase the likelihood of correctly identifying important issues.’

The Foundation Programme assessments last for only one week, as teams visit individual deaneries. This year, the teams will be assessing the Northern, North Western, Oxford and Severn Deaneries. Professor Jacky Hayden, QAFP team leader, said: ‘All the Deaneries that I have reviewed have been enthusiastic about the quality of training that they provide for this important group of doctors and all have been extremely positive about their approach to quality management. I have no doubt that this project will ensure that our early years of training are really high quality.’

2009 QABME medical school visits:

1. Barts and The London School of Medicine
2. Brighton and Sussex Medical School
3. Bristol Medical School
4. University of Dundee School of Medicine
5. Hull York Medical School
6. St George’s, University of London
7. Keele Medical School
8. University of Nottingham Medical School
9. Oxford Medical School

2009 QAFP Deanery visits:

1. Northern
2. North Western
3. Oxford
4. Severn