Commitment towards a better future for medical education in Saudi Arabia: the efforts of the college of medicine at Qassim University to become socially accountable

Figures & data

Table 1. The WHO social accountability grid

	Domains and phases
	Education			Research			Service
Values	Planning	Doing	Impacting	Planning	Doing	Impacting	Planning	Doing	Impacting
Relevance
Quality
Cost-effectiveness
Equity

Table 2. Application of the social accountability grid to activities of the educational programme, research, and community service of the college of Medicine, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

	Domains and Phases
	Education			Research			Service
Values	Planning	Doing	Impacting	Planning	Doing	Impacting	Planning	Doing	Impacting
Relevance	The community needs to appear in the mission; the COMQU should adopt SaudiMEDs Framework & National Qualification Framework.	Medical students are introduced to the concepts that address the priority of health care issues.	The COMQU advisory board sets up a partnership between education professionals, policymakers and the community.	Research priorities are determined by the deanship of research at the university level.	Qassim University encourages researchers by funding research priorities.	Research outcome is documented by the research centre; the COMQU has KPIs.	Through the college advisory board, the QUCOM seeks to anticipate what types of services will be needed in the future to improve the health care and health status of the community, region or nation.	Faculty and students provide health service to thecommunity.	Community service unit activities, medical caravans and health education.
Quality	The COMQU updated the curriculum on a regular basis.	Learning sites are carefully selected and evaluated using students and graduate surveys.	Suggested changes from the stakeholders are implemented accordingly; new objectives and curriculum contents are added.	Research proposals are reviewed and approved by the college IRB and the regional IRB.	Qassim University encourages applied and operational research.	Research done by the college staff has influenced policy change.	The COMQU has an employee survey	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed
Cost-Effectiveness	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Results of research in the priority areas are being published and presented in conferences in the college (e.g., on research days).	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed
Equity	The curriculum is designed to serve all community sectors; 20% of training is community-based.	Students are trained in all community settings, including underserved communities.	Needs to be addressed	There is no clear policy about conducting research in underserved communities.	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed	Needs to be addressed

Table 3. Assessing the COMQU programme based on the social obligation scale

Elements of the obligation scale	Responsibility	Responsiveness	Accountability
Social needs identified	Implicit	Explicit	Anticipative
Institutional objectives	Defined by faculty	Inspired by data	Defined by society
Educational programme	Community-oriented	Community-based	Community-based
Quality of the graduates	Good practitioners	Meeting criteria of professionalism	Health system change agents
Focus of evaluation	Process	Outcome	Impact
Health partners	Internal	External