The need for relevant and responsive health-care that improves people’s health outcomes means that medical schools need to be accountable for what and how they teach. Medical schools are responsible for training health practitioners who can help improve the health of individuals and societies.
The need for accountability also goes beyond that. Universities, including medical schools, receive large amounts of funding from governments to direct their education, research and service towards meeting the needs of the public.
Almost 30 years ago, the World Health Organization issued a mandate stating medical schools need to be socially accountable, meaning they are obligated to respond to the emerging needs of society and to address their priority health concerns.
