Accreditation System and Standards for Medical Education in Pakistan: It’s time we raise the bar

There is a growing trend towards quality assurance and accreditation of medical schools worldwide.1 Globally, countries use accreditation and standards as regulatory mechanisms to ensure the quality of medical education, and in turn healthcare. Liaison Committee on Medical Education and Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools set standards and accredit medical schools in the USA and Canada respectively.2 Ireland, Australia and many other countries have adapted World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) standards for accreditation purpose.3 WFME is an international body, with the goal to improve the quality of medical education globally.4 WFME published first set of standards for Basic Medical Education in 2003 and further refined them in 2012 and 2015,1, 3, 4 based on feedback from international experts. Their purpose is to encourage self-evaluation and bring improvements among institutions providing medical education.3, 4 WFME Guest Editorial