Tracking Medical Education

Postgraduate Medical Education Directory

FAIMER has begun to develop a new resource on postgraduate medical education worldwide. The Postgraduate Medical Education Directory (PMED) will provide information, at the country level, on formal medical education and clinical training, beyond the basic medical school curriculum. PMED is intended to be a resource for those who want to learn about postgraduate medical education internationally. It will be especially valuable to those who wish to compare and evaluate postgraduate training between or among countries.

For each country listed, PMED will indicate the availability of medical and surgical specialties and/or subspecialties. For available specialties and subspecialties, PMED will provide information on the number of programs, the number of years of study required, and the number of entry-level positions available annually. The directory will also capture information related to entry into these programs, standardization of curricula, and mechanisms of accreditation. Finally, PMED will offer information on how specialists become certified, registered, or otherwise professionally recognized in their countries.

FAIMER staff have developed a web-based survey to collect information on these aspects of postgraduate medical education. The survey has been made available to those individuals and organizations worldwide who should have comprehensive knowledge of postgraduate medical education in their countries. The information collected through this survey will form the basis of the information to be included in PMED. When enough information has been gathered and evaluated for PMED to be of potential use, the directory will be made available at no cost through the FAIMER website.