Director's Message:

Good governance is a prerequisite to ensure quality and standard of health professional’s education in Bangladesh. For good governance proper knowledge, skill and attitude are required. Knowledge is power and education provides that knowledge to enlighten. Education, specially higher education, facilitates good governance by preparing leadership as per the Lancet Commission Report 2010 for the creation, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge to the society. Educated human resource is the major driving forces for social change.  In the task of ensuring quality improvement in medical education in Bangladesh since establishment in 1983, Centre for Medical Education (CME) has been playing an important role in this regard.

CME developed, reviewed & updated the curricula of MBBS, BDS, IHT, MATS, HA, SIT etc. in Bangladesh as per it’s TOR. CME acts as the secretariat of National Quality Assurance Scheme since 1998. CME conducts two years MMEd course since 2004 for the medical and dental teachers and also started one year Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education (PGDHPEd) for the teachers of medical, dental & allied health professional from 2018 under BSMMU. Till June 2022 total 159 students were admitted in to MMEd course up to 19th Batch and 117 were awarded MMEd degree from BSMMU. At present 6 students at thesis part of MMEd course and 5 students are in the part-I. CME also conduct workshops regularly every year on Teaching Methodology and Assessment. Since 2021 CME has started to conduct Online Certificate Course on Medical Education (e-CMEd). CME is the WHO collaborating Centre on Medical Education since 2016. Innovation in medical education, educational management, education system, assessment, research, educational audit and journal publication are also the major tasks of CME. Establishing faculty development programme, publishing peer reviewed CME Journal and online assessment of National Quality Assurance Scheme are the plan of CME in 2021. Most recently CME will be a stakeholder for reviewing and updating of post graduate curriculum also.

'Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.' –Said,   Nelson Mandela. We, CME, are with that theme.

Thanks

Professor Dr. Sayeda Shahina Subhan

Director

Centre for Medical Education (CME)

Mohakhali, Dhaka-1216.

Centre for Medical Education (CME)

Centre for Medical Education (CME) is a government organization under the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME), Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh.

Innovation in medical education, educational management, education system, teaching-learning, assessment, research, educational audit and journal publication are the major tasks of CME.

Vision: 

To promote health professionals' education through training of teachers of medical, dental, nursing & allied health professions institutes.

Mission: 

Continuous professional development dedicated to the improvement of the standards of health care delivery through better education, training and research.

Aim: 

To improve and sustain the quality of health professions education of Bangladesh and in South East Asia regional countries. 

Current Major Achievements:

• Conduct two years Masters in Medical Education (MMEd) course.
• Conduct one year Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education (PGDHPEd).
• Develop, review and update MBBS, BDS, IHT-9 courses, MATS, SIT, EPI and HA Curricula.
• CME acts as the secretariat of NQAB since 1998 as per developed National tools and guidelines on QAS for Medical Colleges.
• Work as WHO Collaborating Centre for Medical Education since 5 August 2016.
• Training for the teachers of medical, dental, IHT, MATS, and other health professionals’ institutes on Teaching Methodology, Assessment and e-based academic activities.
• Provide technical support & collaboration to DGME, BM&DC, SMFB, BNMC, BPC, DNMS, DGHS, ME&FWD, MOH&FW, Dean offices, Medical & Dental colleges/institutes, BSMMU, BCPS.
• Since 2021 CME has started to conduct Online Certificate Course on Medical Education  (e-CMEd). 
• Establishing faculty development program with the collaboration of WHO.
• Publishing peer reviewed “CME Journal”.

Manpower:

CME has 16 teaching faculty members, 23 support staff and more than 115 adjunct faculty members.

Privilege:

CME enjoys advisory position of Association for Medical Education Bangladesh.

Previous achievements:

1. Developed National tools and guidelines on QAS for Medical Colleges in 1997 & 2012. 

2. Developed training modalities for inter Professional Education (IPE) in 2014.

3. Conducted training for 42 WHO fellows from regional and extra regional countries.

4. Conducted previously qualifying examination to select assistant registrars, indoor medical officers (IMOs), lecturers of different subjects for govt. Medical colleges to ensure quality teaching by competent faculty members.

5. Conducted previously national central admission tests for three years diploma in nursing science and midwifery, four years BSc in nursing, four years homeo /alternative medical care student admission tests for more than 12 years.

6. CME conducted the process of appointing specialist physicians from Bangladesh to Bhutan as per the MOU between Bangladesh & Bhutan govt. 

Major ongoing activities and achievements:

1. Conducting two years MMEd course since 2004-2005. Initially under DU and later on under BSMMU. Till June 2022 total 159 students were admitted in MMEd course up to 19th batch. Total 117 students were awarded MMEd degree up to 16th batch. Students of 19th batch, 18th batch & 17th batch are at part I, part II and at part III (Final/Thesis) respectively.

2. Conducting one year Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education (PGDHPEd).

3. CME started an extensive program of training on Teaching Methodology & Assessment in different medical colleges where different medical colleges/institutes are working as satellite centre and CME is working as Centre of coordination, cooperation & guidance under the guidance of DGME.

   • In 1st phase – (Jan-June 2022) 1461 medical and dental teachers have got training from 34 medical colleges/institutes on 12 topics on teaching methodology & assessment. 

   • In 2nd phase – (July-December 2022) (on going) 2550 teachers are receiving training from 60 medical colleges/institutes. 

4. About 250 to 300 teachers of undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental colleges/institutes, IHT, MATS receive training in each year on Teaching Methodology, Instructional Materials Development and Assessment from CME. In the last year (2021-22) 267 teachers were trained.

5. CME awarded online certificate course on medical education (e -CMEd) for medical and dental teachers in 2021 with the help of WHO, 400 teachers were enrolled & 298 completed the course successfully. 

6. CME conducted a number of need based  tailor made training in different times on Research Methodology, Biostatistics, Problem Based Learning (PBL), Teaching Health Ethics, Curriculum Development, Instructor & Program Evaluation, Educational Management, Quality  Assurance Scheme (QAS) and Accreditation for the health professional institutes.

7. CME developed MBBS curriculum in 1988, 2002, 2012 & 2021, BDS curriculum in 2007 & 2016 , IHT-9 courses  curricula in 2004, 2008 & 2021, MATS curriculum in  2005, 2009 & 2021, SIT curriculum in 2008, 2015 & 2021, HA Curricula in 2021 and EPI curriculum in 2021. 

8. CME is working as WHO collaborating center for Medical Education since 5 August 2016.

9. Provide technical support & collaboration on different educational issues with DGME, BM&DC, SMFB, BNMC, BPC, DGHS,ME&FWD, MOH&FW, Dean Offices, Medical & Dental Colleges, IHT, MATS, BSMMU,  BCPS and different postgraduate institutes since its establishment.

10. Conduct collaborative work on different educational issues with WHO, AAB, ADPC, PSTC, TLMB and UNICEF since its establishment.

11. CME is working on Need based Projection of Specialist Physicians in Bangladesh with the help of WHO. 

12. CME conducted several meetings & workshops on blended education with the stakeholders and made a report & submitted to Ministry of Education through MOH&FW.

13. CME started publishing multidisciplinary medical journal “CME Journal”6 monthly. Already issues of journal on January 2022 and July 2022 published & under the process of distribution to different medical colleges/institutes & third issue is in the process of compilation.

14. CME conducted workshop on “Integrated teaching” and professor Dr Mohammad Shahidullah, Ex-president, BM&DC is conducting an online session on “Integrated teaching” for medical college & dental college teachers. 

15. CME arranged workshop on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and proposed its inclusion in medical curriculum because of its versatile importance in reducing the premature death of the people. 

16. CME provided 5 courses on e-based academic activities and management in medical education and 150 medical teachers were trained.

17. CME is always committed to accomplish any work given by the higher authority.

Future Plan:

1. CME dreams to establish a teachers’ training institute with attached laboratory medical college/institute for medical teacher and teachers of allied health professionals to ensure quality teaching in different medical colleges/Institutes.  

2. Training:

• Training of Medical Teachers: 
  • Assistant Professor- One month on Basic Concept of Teaching-Learning. 
  • Associate Professor- 7 days on Teaching Methodology and Assessment.
  • Professor- 7 days on Leadership and Management.
• Training of Health Allied Professional (Nursing, IHT, MATS, Homeopathy & Ayurvedic medicine)
• Training on Research Methodology and Publication
• Training on Blended Learning and E-learning

3. Licensing examination for fresh medical & dental graduate at entry level of health service and then in every 5/10 years for registered physician in collaboration with BMDC

4. CME plans to develop a Central question bank for quality examination on written, oral & OSCE/OSPE examination. 

5. You tube inclusion of lectures on important medical topics and emerging issues

6. Faculty evaluation & faculty development programme. 

7. CME is pursuing for establishing the Independent Accreditation Commission in Bangladesh as per the declaration of ECFMG, USA & Network of medical council of SEAR.

8. In future CME is also planning to start regular online certificate course (e CMEd), MMEd and PGDHPEd in distance learning approach.