A significant update in the policy governing cross-border accreditation is set to be implemented on 1 July 2024.

This updated policy by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is in response to concerns and feedback received from various stakeholders during the WFME Strategic Planning Process and has been approved by the WFME Executive Council. This policy sets a clear and robust process for accrediting agencies wishing to extend their Recognition Status for additional countries/territories.

The WFME Recognition Status is territory-bound, meaning it only applies to a country (or countries) for which the first Recognition Status was originally awarded. To clarify: any agency may accredit any medical school if invited by the medical school (and if the local authority allows accreditation by foreign agencies). However, for the accreditation to be awarded with the implication of the WFME-Recognition Status, this agency must be recognised for the respective territory. To maintain the quality of services, agencies wishing to extend their accreditation activities to other countries should ensure that their processes align with the local context.

For an agency’s operation in any new country to be considered for WFME recognition, the agency must demonstrate its legal standing and recognition by local authorities. WFME reviews the accreditation activities in the agency’s original country and verifies that the agency is appropriately recognised and effective in the new country.

The updated policy introduces specific requirements to ensure the quality of cross-border accreditation:

• Geographic Region and Authorities: Agencies must list all countries where they conduct accreditation activities and provide contact information for the relevant recognising authorities in each country.
• Nature of Accreditation Activities: Agencies must detail their accreditation activities in each country, including the number and types of programmes, schools, or universities accredited, along with a brief history of these activities.
• Quality Assurance Policies: Agencies must describe the targeted policies and procedures they have introduced to maintain the quality of cross-border accreditation efforts, including financial and administrative resource management.
• Local Authority Recognition: Agencies need to provide evidence of their recognition by local authorities, including written agreements outlining the scope of their accreditation activities and the impact of their decisions in the new country.
• Adaptation to Local Context: Agencies must analyse and, if necessary, adjust their policies, procedures, and standards to fit the context of the target country. This includes modifications to standards, training, site visits, and decision-making processes.
• Supplementary Functions: Where applicable, agencies must describe how other organizations or authorities within the new country’s system supplement or complement their accreditation processes.

The actual process of awarding the status for new (or additional territories/countries) differs for the agencies seeking initial recognition and recognised agencies seeking expansion.

For Agencies Seeking Initial Recognition

Agencies applying for WFME recognition must describe their cross-border activities and provide supporting documentation as part of the Full Application, with new recognition criteria introduced as of 1 January 2025 (to learn more visit https://wfme.org/updates-to-the-recognition-of-accreditation-programme). The WFME Office will verify the endorsement by local authorities and review the information through the Recognition Team and Recognition Committee.

For Recognized Agencies Seeking Expansion

Agencies already recognized by the WFME must submit a formal request to extend their recognition status to new countries. This involves completing a Cross-Border Accreditation form and facilitating communication with local authorities to provide a responsive contact within the relevant authority to allow the WFME Office to request the completion of the Eligibility Questionnaire. The WFME Office and two members of the WFME Executive Council will then review the documentation to decide on extending the Recognition Status for a new territory.  

The updated policy also allows for an additional/follow-up site visit to be mandated by the Recognition Committee, based on the information provided by the WFME Office, if deemed necessary.

The information about the endorsing local authority will be made public on the WFME website to provide full transparency.

Until this process is completed, any cross-border accreditation activities will not be recognized by the WFME. A non-refundable fee of $6,000 USD applies to each request and, with the timely submission of documentation, the entire process should not exceed eight weeks.

See the full policy here.