The need for national medical licensing examination in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Medical education in Saudi Arabia is facing multiple challenges, including the rapid increase in the number of medical schools over a short period of time, the influx of foreign medical graduates to work in Saudi Arabia, the award of scholarships to hundreds of students to study medicine in various countries, and the absence of published national guidelines for minimal acceptable competencies of a medical graduate.

Discussion: We are arguing for the need for a Saudi national medical licensing examination that consists of two parts: Part I (Written) which tests the basic science and clinical knowledge and Part II (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) which tests the clinical skills and attitudes. We propose this examination to be mandated as a licensure requirement for practicing medicine in Saudi Arabia.

Conclusion: The driving and hindering forces as well as the strengths and weaknesses of implementing the licensing examination are discussed in details in this debate.

Figure 1

Dynamic Domains of Medical Education.

Figure 2

Miller's Framework of Clinical Assessment (^© Miller GE: The assessment of clinical skills/competence/performance. Acad Med 1990, 65: S63–S67. Figure 1 [25]. Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.): with the corresponding appropriate methods of assessment.

Figure 3

Summary of Proposal.

Figure 4

Curricular Challenges (^© Hays R. Teaching and Learning in Clinical Settings. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing; 2006 [35]. Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.)