The World Health Organization Directory of Medical Schools is one of three definitive databases for recognising international medical schools. It lists all medical schools which have been recognized and granted a charter by their host countries. A listing in the WDMS does not provide any information regarding the quality of education at a medical school, nor does it imply any quality assurance by either the WHO or the host country.

The other two definitive databases are the Avicenna Directories and the FAIMER International Medical Education Directory^[1]

Those countries which assess the qualifications of foreign graduates before licensing them to practice typically limit eligibility for licensure to doctors whose primary medical qualifications were obtained from a school listed in the WHO Directory of Medical Schools or the Avicenna Directories, or (particularly for North America and some other developed countries) the FAIMER International Medical Education Directory.^[2] Most countries also have respective national organizations for developing, monitoring and credentialing local medical schools.

The World Health Organization has published its World Directory of Medical Schools since 1953. The last printed edition - the seventh – was published in 2000. In August 2008, WHO published this seventh edition of the World Directory electronically, together with updates received by WHO up to December 2007.^[3]

These are the final updates of the WHO World Directory, the functions of which are being assumed by the Avicenna Directories^[4]. The WHO announced in January 2007 that the print version of the World Directory of Medical Schools will be converted into an online database. The WHO is working with the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, to create a Global Database of Health Professions Educational Institutions. In addition to medical schools, this new database with include other academic health institutions (school of dentistry nursing, midwifery, pharmacy, public health, and rehabilitation specialist).

As with the print version, the new database will contain relevant information about each school including accreditation, student population, date of establishment, etc. The University of Copenhagen will run it in collaboration with WHO, the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) ^[5], the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), International Pharmaceutical Federation and other partners.

[edit] See also

• List of medical schools
• List of pharmacy schools

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• 2000 Edition Directory - pdf file
• FAIMER-IMED Directory