Medical Education in Egypt: Historical Background, Current Status, and Challenges

Abstract

Background: From its beginnings in 1827, an important goal of medical education in Egypt has been to qualify physicians who can provide high-quality health care services for their local community and other communities in the Middle East region. Objective and method: To describe the historical background, current status, and future challenges of medical education in Egypt, the authors conducted an extensive internet search, and made electronic communications as well as site visits to gather relevant data. In the final phase, the authors organized and interpreted their data with emphasis on the historical background, features of the curricula, practices of quality, and accreditation, as well as the challenges encountered. The authors collected data from 27 medical schools, all of which are supervised by Egypt's Supreme Council of Universities. Results: The findings showed that the undergraduate programs (UGMEs) of medical schools in Egypt can be broken down into three categories reflecting the status of reform: innovative, traditional, or in transition. Areas of reform have included the main features of curriculum, teaching and learning methods, and assessment tools. Postgraduate studies in medicine (PGSM) in Egypt take place under two systems: the academic system, offered by universities, and the professional Fellowship of Egyptian Board (FEB) program, offered by the Ministry of Health. There are many initiatives to establish a national regulatory system for continuing medical education, but none of these initiatives is yet well established. Conclusion: While UGME reform in Egypt is progressing, improvements are still required in both PGSM and CME. Keywords: Egypt, Undergraduate medical education, Postgraduate medical education, Continuous medical education, Education reform