CREATING: a sustainable plan for biomedical higher education in Saudi Arabia. Phase I

Abstract

Biomedical higher education has been acquiring increasing importance worldwide, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and effective strategies to improve outcomes and competitiveness are key for academic success. The plan presented here is divided into two major phases. Phase 1 (Communication, Research governance, Education planning, Accreditation) deals mainly with adopting a systematic approach to academic activities according to the current international standards. In other words, the aim is to re-organise what is already in place, taking into account current guidelines and strategies that help improve quality of education and research. It is suggested that this is not necessarily to be achieved by major investments but, rather, by a more imaginative and structured work plan. In Phase 2 (Translational practice, Implementation, Networking, Growth), higher education institutions are expected to invest in new strategic resources, to establish strong reciprocal links with international academic partners and industry, and to shift their attention to the hot topics and current academic challenges, leading the way in translational education models and pioneering cutting-edge research.

Figure 1. Representation of the virtuous circle of biomedical education

The four pillars of clinical academia (education, research, heath service, administration), which rely on the availability of infrastructures and facilities, will lead to improvement of health service and consequently to enrichment of human resources. Concurrently, the higher education institutions (HEIs) will work as enterprise, thus providing new economical resources that can be used to improve infrastructures and facilities.

Figure 2. Scheme of academic pathways

The picture provides an example of how to maximise the academic outcomes based on a requirement for 80% teaching and 20% research. This is obtained by fulfilling the academic loads with faculty staff being assigned different academic duties (job pathways).

Figure 3

Organisational structure for research governance.

Figure 4. Constructive alignment

The flowchart integrates the current constructivist understanding of the nature of learning and an aligned design for outcomes-based teaching education.

Figure 5. Schematic plan of the proposed medical and dental curriculum

The structure of the study plan (central panel) is accompanied in parallel by the learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, and attitudes, left panel) and by the educational methods and strategies that best suit the desired outcomes (right panel).