What Makes a High-quality Medical Education and Graduate? The Saudi Arabia Labor Market's Perspective

Abstract

In Saudi Arabia, quality management receives a significant amount of attention in higher education. In medical education, specifically, Saudi colleges have been fully engaged with quality assurance and accreditation since 1992, under the supervision of the Saudi Council for Health Specialties. Along with the quality standards determined by accreditation agencies, the perspective of employers on the quality of learning and teaching needs to be acknowledged. The needs of medical employers can be translated into quality standards for medical education to help overcome the perceived deficiencies which lead to poorly equipped graduates. This chapter explores how employers conceptualize quality in medical education with an emphasis on learning and teaching and employers’ perspectives on the quality attributes of medical graduates. This chapter is based on interviews with 14 medical employers in Saudi Arabia. From the employers’ perspective, a high-quality medical education is marked by high quality educational systems, curricula, faculty members, and medical training. Additionally, medical graduates must attain a balance of soft skills, practical and clinical skills, and theoretical medical knowledge. Understanding employers’ perspectives on quality in medical education will complement our existing understanding of quality in medical education.

Citation

AlThukair, D. and Rattray, J. (2023), "What Makes a High-quality Medical Education and Graduate? The Saudi Arabia Labor Market's Perspective", Saeed, S.T. and Sherwani, K.H. (Ed.) Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the Middle East: Practices and Perspectives (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 54), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 67-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120230000054004