Steps towards establishing a new medical college in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: an insight into medical education in the Kingdom

BACKGROUND The percentage of Saudi physicians practicing in the public health sector did not exceed 22.6% in 2009, and did not reach 20% in 2006. This is despite the fact that more than 80% of the Saudi population seeks health care in the public health sector. Such a low percentage of Saudi physicians is even significantly lower in the private health sector. With a fast growing population, and a low percentage of Saudi nationals practicing medicine, the need to establish new medical colleges in the Kingdom became a must. This study reflects on the steps followed in establishing the College of Medicine at Al-Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, and provides a comprehensive insight into medical education in the Kingdom. METHODS A sub-committee derived from the Saudi Medical Colleges Deans' Committee was created and chaired by the founding dean of Al-Imam College of Medicine. The main goals of the sub-committee were to analyze the status of medical education in the Kingdom, and to produce an action plan to be followed when establishing a new medical college in the country. RESULTS The sub-committee produced a working document, which included recommendations and action plan. A medical college yet to be established should take into consideration right from the beginning both institutional and program accreditation. To achieve this goal, there are five main pillars to be planned by six main task forces. Embedded among these pillars are twenty-one domains. The analysis of the status of medical education in the Kingdom revealed some interesting observations, which are discussed in details in the manuscript. CONCLUSIONS Establishing a new medical college should not be about just increasing the number of medical colleges as a response to the shortage of doctors. It is a lengthy "surgical operation" that requires careful and timely planning in order to anticipate and prevent any damage, and to ensure optimal outcomes. In this regard, a detailed analysis of what already exists and what needs to be done is crucial.