WPAME Update November 2025
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Introduction
The Executive Committee of the Western Pacific Association for Medical Education (WPAME) is pleased to provide an update on the activities and plans of our organisation since August 2024.
The objectives of WPAME are to promote quality assurance and improvement in medical education in the Region; promote the development of medical education in the Region; foster communication and exchanges of information and experiences in medical education, and contribute to a global directory of medical schools. This role is consistent with our status as one of the six regional associations of the World Federation for Medical Education.
Meetings of the Advisory Board
The WPAME meets at least once each year to review its activities and progress its agenda.
In 2025 the WPAME Advisory Board has met face-to-face in conjunction with medical education conferences in the region:
the Forum on Medical Education, Beijing China in July 2025. WPAME is grateful to the National Centre for Health Professions Education Development, the Working Committee for the Accreditation of Medical Education, and Professor Wang Weimin and Mrs Xie Ana for hosting these meetings. The Forum included an International Conference on Quality Assurance in Medical Education which included presentations for a number of WPAME member countries.
the Asia Pacific Medical Education Conference (APMEC), Singapore in January 2025. WPAME is grateful to the National University of Singapore, and Professor Dujeepa Samarasekera (WPAME President from 2018-2022), for hosting these meetings.
In August 2024 WPAME adopted a revised Constitution which modernises its operations, broadens its objectives, and opens up new categories of membership and associate membership. The WPAME Executive Committee is continuing its approach to potential new member and associate member countries and organisations to enhance its capacity to support medical education developments in the region.
WPAME will be welcoming a new member country, Indonesia, in 2026. This follows Indonesia’s request for reassignment to the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization at the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in May 2025. Members of WPAME warmly welcomed the proposal for membership by the Indonesian Accreditation Agency for Higher Education in Health (IAAHEH).
The WPAME is also continuing its focus on opportunities for resource sharing.
Activities of the President
The President of WPAME has attended:
In March 2025, the 2nd Asia Medical Education Accreditation Agencies (AMAA) Forum in Taipei, Taiwan.
In June 2025, International Assessor Training in Jakarta provided by IAAHEH in June.
In September 2025, the 59th Annual Medial Symposium of the Medical Society of Papua New Guinea which coincided with the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence.
In October 2025, the assessment team for the University of Indonesia medical course on behalf of IAAHEH.
Medical program evaluations
WPAME supports countries in the region to develop processes for accreditation of medical programs, and by undertaking external evaluations of medical programs when accreditation processes do not exist. An advisory panel of medical education and accreditation practitioners from across the region contribute to this work.
WPAME has continued its work with the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam on the development of standards and processes to support the introduction of an accreditation process for medical programs in Vietnam.
Engagement with WFME
As a regional association of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), the WPAME participates in global initiatives of the Federation.
The WFME Conference held in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Education Accreditation in Bangkok, Thailand in May 2025 on Health for All – Through Quality Medical Education provided an opportunity to network and learn from and with a global community of medical educators, accreditation experts, policymakers, healthcare leaders, students, and patients. Presentations on the WFME Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Recognition Programmes have led to WPAME deciding it will strengthen its own focus on these phases of medical education in the Region.
Both the WFME conference and the International Conference on the Quality Assurance in Medical Education in Beijing raised the challenges of ensuring that medical education is addressing medical workforce needs, and WPAME is considering possible initiatives in response to these challenges.
WPAME values its partnership with WFME and thanks the President and Vice President of WFME for attending meetings, and for engaging the Association in WFME’s work on standards for all phases of medical education. The WPAME President attends meetings of the WFME Executive Council as well as meetings of the Regional Association Presidents.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the members of the WPAME Secretariat based in the Canberra office of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) for their ongoing support of our Association, and to staff of the Working Committee on Accreditation of Medical Education, China for their contribution.
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