OMSB gets US medical accreditation
MUSCAT: The Oman Medical Speciality Board (OMSB) has obtained institutional accreditation from US-based Council of International Higher Medical Education Accreditation as the fifth accredited institution based outside the US.
The Sultanate is the fifth country to get an accreditation from the Council of International Higher Medical Education Accreditation following Singapore, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Lebanon.
The accreditation comes in recognition for OMSB’s role in boosting the process of training and qualification of doctors and it was obtained after a series of visits and preparations during which the OMSB was evaluated as an institute operating in the provision of medical training as well as boosting healthcare services and advanced medical education.
Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health and the Chairman of OMSB Board of Directors, said: “we are proud of this achievement and looking forward WHEN the Oman Medical Speciality Board (OMSB) sought to further enhance the quality of its education and training programmes in Oman via authoritative international benchmarking, OMSB decided ACGME-I accreditation would best attain the goal.
OMSB leaders have long recognised how such accreditation would support the institution’s mission “to set high standards for post-graduate medical education of healthcare professionals” and continuously improve those standards.
Dr Abdullah al Futaisi, OMSB Executive Director and CEO, and Professor Neela al Lamki, OMSB Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for seeking accreditation, had attended several ACGME conferences over the years. In addition, Prof Lamki worked at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, for more than 20 years, including 11 years as programme director for radiology, and is quite familiar with the ACGME organization.
When ACGME-I launched, OMSB immediately began pursuit of accreditation.
“ACGME-I accreditation delivers a strong message that the post-graduate medical education and training at OMSB meets the highest of international standards,” said Dr. Futaisi and Prof Lamki. “It ensures residents that their education is of outstanding academic quality and professional relevance, and conveys to the public OMSB’s commitment to continuous improvement to its programmes that leads to better healthcare in Oman.”
The agreement between OMSB and the ACGME-I commenced in September 2014 and, whereas the prestigious recognition is relatively new, Prof Lamki anticipates immediate and significant benefits for residents.
“It will be easier for our residents to get hands-on training in the United States through electives, residency training opportunities and fellowships once we get ACGME-I accreditation,” she said. for achieving the interests of the country and citizens and the integration of academic institutions and healthcare providers with a view to boost health services in the Sultanate. We would like to congratulate those who contributed to this achievement as the Omani cadre is capable of improving the quality of hospitals.”
Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Executive Chairman of OMSB, said that it’s a source of pride for OMSB to obtain an institutional accreditation from an institution with a history in the field of education and training which provides accreditation for renowned US medical institutions. Such a success wouldn’t have been achieved without the efforts undertaken by OMSB over the past years through cooperation with the advanced countries’ medical institutions.
The accreditation also stems from the board’s desire to provide quality training, Al Sabti said adding that it will be the stepping stone for OMSB to get further accreditations.