International Association of Medical Colleges
Advisory Council’s Organizational Meeting
La Guardia Marriott Courtyard
December 9th, 2006

Summary of Minutes
Bernie Ferguson, President served as Chair of the IAOMC meeting. Attendees were reminded the meeting was being taped to keep their voices up and identify themselves for the transcriber . Luncheon menus were before each to preorder to save time. Each of those present introduced themselves. They were; Henry Haddad, former President of the Quebec Medical Association and the Canadian Medical Association, Montreal, Leo Sullivan, former Assoc. Dean Tufts Medical, consultant to the NYS Regents, IAOMC expert, New Hampshire, Dulip Karnick, Director Pediatric neurology, Austin, Texas, Mahendra Patel President, Hope Medical Institute, Virginia, Betty Ferguson, Bernie’s wife, Rhode Island, Steve Rodger, Board Chair, St. Matthews, Connecticut, Joshua Kerr, International Director, American Osteopathic Association, Chicago Berend Mets, Chair Anesthesiology, Penn. State, Hershey, PA, Michael Goldin, Chair, NY State Board of Medicine, New York, Kathy McGrath, Admissions, SGU, New York, Nancy Perri, Dean, Ross University, New Jersey, Charlie Modica, Chancellor, SGU, Florida, Dorian Shillingford, Chair, Dominica Medical Board, Dominica, Michael Gordon, Professor Univ. of Toronto, Baycrest Geriatric Center, Canada, Jim Appleyard, Former President World Medical Association, and Vice President of the British Medical Association, United Kingdom, and Dick Gumport, Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs, University of Illinois, Urbana. Mala Chinoy, Professor Surgery Penn. State and Rob Crausman, Executive Director Rhode Island Board expressed their regrets.

Bernie advised we need to review the present status of schools submissions. Site visitors had to plan their schedules long in advance. Steve Roger reported St. Matthews University had completed a draft of its documents and they were awaiting Board approval. Nancy Perri believed Ross will file in the last week in December. Charlie Modica did not know the details and suggested checking with the person in charge of the Committee. Mahendra Patel opinioned the Universities of Silesia and Lublin would be filed but there were problems with the agencies delays in Poland and can’t give a date. Two days before the meeting Yife Tien called Bernie and said AUC had not begun preparation for accreditation review. At this point he was uncertain if they will ever submit to IAOMC accreditation. The decision would be before March 17th, 2007. David Fredrick emailed that something had arisen that precluded his attendance. We have not received Saba’s Oversight Committee schedule. Bernie pointed out that after March 17th, 2007 the provisional voting membership privilege ends. Steve felt this would be harsh for those unable to complete their documents and moved that for an appropriate reason a 30 day extension be granted. Nancy seconded the motion and Mahendra and Charlie agreed.

After discussion it was agreed new schools should be advised we will accept their application for accreditation at our annual meeting March 17, 2007. Leo opinioned it would take them a minimum of six months to put their data base and self study together.

Our initial founding members had established a budget of $47,000.00 for each school to develop the International Association of Medical Colleges. We are on a fiscal year that expires in March, 2007. There is a need for a new financing formula to accommodate smaller schools and those from poorer countries. Nancy Perri accepted the Chair of an IAOMC Committee to consider future financing and report to the Trustees.

There is a problem with a site team’s review of all clinical sites. Our team composition is; two basic scientists, two clinical scientists and one administrator. If site teams were to visit each one of St. George’s, American University of the Caribbean or Ross’s Hospitals it would exceed the site visitors’ time capacity. All are exceedingly busy. Various proposals were suggested. The resolution would be left to the accreditation experts.

We have not developed a system for choosing the three government site visit observers. Bernie will be recommending at least one observer be from the country wherein the school is located. And that the observer panel members determine the selection of observers from established policy limits. Again, thoughts were exchanged and the final proposal will be submitted to the trustees.

When is the next meeting? March 17th, 2007. We have not fixed a location, but the United Nations would be ideal. Charlie agreed to make the arrangements.

Each of the three sections three officers were agreed upon as follows;

• Section 1.
  Experienced, expert medical school administrators or educators. Berend Mets, Chair, Mala Chinoy, Secretary, and Michael Gordon Treasurer.

• Section 2.
  Senior government medical regulators or certifying administrators or medical board members. Michael Goldin, Chair, Dorian Shillingford Secretary and Robert Crausman, Treasurer (Subject to his acceptance).

• Section 3.
  Distinguished, Knowledgeable representatives of various countries or regions of the world, or eminent existing associations or organizations. Henry Haddad, Chair, Jim Appleyard, Secretary and temporary Treasurer. Each of the roles must be defined more clearly. No office can be allowed to be an excessive burden and the responsibility should be delegated and shared. The current financial projections need to be evaluated.

The Executive Committee’s officers were determined to be;

Dick Gumport, Chair, Jim Appleyard Secretary and Michael Gordon Treasurer.

The founding school’s meeting was closed and the group adjoined for lunch. After lunch the attendees reconvened.

Dick Gumport, Chair of the Advisory Council’s Executive Committee presided over its first meeting.

• The first issue referred to the Advisory Committee was, what are the limits to computer assisted learning? A questionnaire sent to US State licensing boards. Responses indicated this issue was one of their concerns. The reason is that the U.S. licensing system requires a medical school be listed by the World Health Organization as chartered in one of the worlds 192 nations. If so certified, and a graduate of such a school passes a series of tests, that person is eligible for graduate training and licensure. Preliminary discussion suggested further study was required before any recommendation could be made for either guideline being issued or accreditation standards be modified to include this subject.

• The Council was asked to address an additional classification of IAOMC certification. The problem is that presently many nations cannot afford to deliver first world medicine. They need not train doctors to prescribe drugs they cannot provide or order tests that are not available. Their training is constrained to serve the nations population within the political and economic circumstance. Some opinioned there was no need for another classification. We imply we would be delivering a certificate, a piece of paper without value. But that the accrediting process itself could be helpful for a new school or one in the developing countries to advise them of pathways to achieve the full standard. Bernie advised we needed to define the procedure for schools that were starting. Possibly data base document outlining what they were intending to do with a modified site visit, repeated annually. Others felt certification would merely diminish the meaning of accreditation. Either they are qualified or not.
  
  Dick Gumport had to be excused to catch a plane and asked Bernie to accept the position of Chair. Others also had to catch the hotel’s shuttle to the airport. Bernie continued the meeting.

• On June 2, 2006 IAOMC’s provisional school members voted to develop recognition of comparable standards. If comparable standards are found we then develop a more focused limited review process for schools that been accredited under standards and process, “comparable” to IAOMC’s global standards. The Board requests guidelines as to when standards and process are comparable. And recommendations on the verification process for IAOMC.

• Next issue was also recommended by U.S. States licensing Boards. The background to their current upset may be found in some newer medical schools indicating they will award credits for advanced standing for applicants that had been trained in other academic disciplines that appeared to be not the equal to an MD or DO training. The background to this issue began in the 1980s when two Dominican schools (Cifias and Cetec) had a recruiting agent who was advertising credits would be given for courses taken in allied health sciences. Marc Grimm, the newly appointed Executive Director of the California Board, questioned how they could possibly have e received a degree from a school in the Dominican Republic when they were never in that country? Up to that time the academic prerogative of the appointed faculty member charged with the responsibility to evaluate transfer credits had been unquestioned. It was discovered that nurses and others educated in the allied health sciences basic sciences educations were accepted for the basic science training provided to a doctor. Thereafter, the “students” were given advanced standing and entered the clinical sciences. If they could find a person to provide a certified letter they had trained the student in a medical facility credit would be granted without any questions. The applicants for California licenses agreed to tell the entire story provided they would get their licenses. Mr. Grimm was told one Pedro De Maisones needed $10,000.00 to make the arrangements. The Dominican Republic closed the schools. Pedro De Maisones charged with fraud, was tried and convicted. He was sentenced to a federal penitentiary. That flagrant abuse of academic discretion seemed to end. However, once again newer schools seem to be restoring the former practices.

• The issue for future financing will be deferred to the Treasurers accessing anticipated expenses up to March 17th 2006, the end of the IAOMC’s fiscal period.

The meeting was closed at approximately 4 pm.

Prepared by President Bernard Ferguson in the absence of Secretary David Fredrick