The School of Medicine at The University of Guyana (UG) was recently accorded Accreditation for four years from 2017-2021 by the Caribbean Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP). The decision to grant re-accreditation with a few conditions to the UG School of Medicine was made at the July 2017 meeting of CAAM-HP.
The School first gained accreditation in 2008 and functioned as a professionally accredited institution up to 2015. The re-accreditation of the School, located in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Turkeyen campus, follows a site visit to UG in November of 2016 by a team of evaluators from CAAM-HP, to conduct a comprehensive re-evaluation of the teaching/learning facilities available at the School and meet with the various administrative sections of the University and medical students.
In commenting on this long awaited announcement Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith congratulated the faculty, students and staff of the School of Medicine “on this signally important decision” and expressed appreciation to personnel and students of the School, the University Library, Registry, Estate Management, Information Technology, Personnel Division and other units, His Excellency President David Granger, the Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Education , PAHO/WHO, and the Georgetown Public Hospital, for their contributions to this successful outcome. He stated that “This investment of time and resources by the university in the re-accreditation of the School of Medicine is a tribute to the entire university and it strengthens our brand overall as we pursue Project Renaissance.” He further said, “however, substantial amounts of time and money will be required to complete the needed enhancements of one of our flagship programmes.” This sentiment was echoed by the Director of the School Dr Ronald Aaron who emphasised that the accreditation was due to “community effort, now the real work begins.”