The Imperial Connection: Periodic review scheduled for MBBS programme

By Scott Tucker, Assistant Registrar (Monitoring and Review), Imperial College London

LKCMedicine's inaugural cohort of graduates received joint MBBS degrees conferred by NTU Singapore and Imperial College London in July 2018 – a significant milestone for the young medical school. The success of this joint MBBS programme is the result of years of innovative collaboration between the two prestigious institutions as well as a dedicated community of students and staff. 

As both NTU and Imperial are committed to continuous improvement, and recognise the importance of assessing and evaluating the effectiveness, relevance and validity of the MBBS programme alongside the quality of the student experience, a periodic review will be held in October 2019. 

This follows on from the second-stage review conducted three years ago, where a Review Panel expressed full confidence in the School's ongoing management of the academic standards of the MBBS programme and the quality of learning opportunities provided to its students.

Given the unique nature of the collaboration status of the MBBS programme, the periodic review will be jointly managed by both institutions and conducted by a Review Panel on behalf of NTU Provost's Council and the Imperial Senate. 

Prior to the review, the School will produce a Self-Evaluation Document (SED) which will contain a narrative and supporting data that meets the quality assurance requirements of both NTU and Imperial. The review process has also been tailored to ensure the content of the SED aligns with Singapore Ministry of Health's National Standards for Basic Medical Education. 

The SED will form the basis of the two-day review, where a Review Panel will hold separate meetings with students and staff across the School. The Panel comprises Professor Simone Buitendijk (Vice Provost Education, Imperial) as Chair, two Internal panel members, a Review Officer, two independent external assessors from across the higher education sector, and two student representatives. 

Following the periodic review, an outcome report will be produced that may identify areas of commendation, instances of good practice, conditions on which the School is required to act, and recommendations for enhancement. The School will provide a response and action plan to the Panel's findings.

This internally driven periodic review illustrates both institutions' desire to safeguard, manage and develop the academic standards and quality of the joint MBBS programme. A key concept within the periodic review process is that of continuous evaluation carried out in the context of both institutions. The periodic review will provide a forum to enhance the world-class learning opportunities for students and ensure further success of the partnership.