The World Federation of Medical Education’s (WFME) World Conference was held in Bangkok, Thailand, between May 25 and 28, 2025, in cooperation with the Institute for Medical Education Accreditation (IMEAc). This high-profile international event focused on the future of medical education, global challenges, and opportunities for quality improvement.
Prior to the conference, representatives of WFME recognised agencies participated in a Pre-Conference symposium, which also provided a great opportunity for the representatives of the agency recognised until March 2032, to introduce the organization and provide an insight into its activities and its previous and ongoing improvements of its procedures With the active contribution of the invited attendees, the symposium, which also played a role in planning the renewal of standards, promoted cooperation between WFME accredited agencies. Particular emphasis was placed on the development of an evaluation framework that requires shared thinking and is suitable for measuring the impact of accreditation and recognition. The program provided a suitable occasion for an active discourse between accreditation leaders and researchers analyzing the effectiveness of the WFME, and delegates from organizations representing practicing physicians. The goal is to jointly identifying priority areas for measuring the impact of medical education program accreditation and the recognition of accrediting organizations in the future. Prof. Dr. Valéria Csépe, President of the MAB, and dr. Péter Vámosi, member of MAB’s Medical Education Working Group, represented the Hungarian agency at the event.
The conference, held under the motto “Health for All – Through Quality Medical Education”, aspired to promote international cooperation at all levels of medical education, with the possible broadest involvement of all stakeholders in medical education. Participants from more than 100 countries around the world – including educators, training developers, accreditation experts, representatives of quality assurance agencies, students, and patient rights representatives – gathered to share their experiences and shape the future of medical education.
During the conference, participants took part in a varied and dynamic program of plenary sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. The agenda covered important, progressive topics, including:
- the integration of artificial intelligence and digital tools into medical education,
- professional development and support for medical educators,
- global standards for accreditation and quality assurance,
- promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within medical training.
Prof. Dr. Valéria Csépe introduced in her particular presentation the MAB accreditation requirements based on the WFME 2020 standards for basic medical education (BME) highlighting their alignment with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015), as well as the related quality assurance and evaluation expectations. She was accompanied by co-presenter dr. Péter Vámosi who enriched the presentation by drawing the attention to the perspectives of doctoral students. The presentation attracted particular interest from accrediting organizations in Asian countries that apply the ESG principles.
On the occasion of the Conference, the President of MAB has also signed the so-called Bangkok 2025 WFME Declaration, which draws the attention to the institutions’ responsibility to support medical students, physicians in postgraduate education and physicians in practice.
The Declaration emphasizes that it is a key task of educational and healthcare institutions to prioritize the health and wellbeing of medical students and practicing physicians.
The threat to mental -physical health and well-being, moreover the phenomenon of burnout among those involved in medical training and practice, is a global issue that can only be resolved through cooperation and collective action.
The Declaration highlights the fact that to achieve an effective practical implementation, institutions must establish a supportive learning environment and foster an open, proactive approach that considers emotional, physical, spiritual, social, intellectual, and financial wellbeing.
The Declaration, along with the list of signatories, is available at the following link:
https://wfme.org/wfme-declaration-page/
The WFME 2025 World Conference was a major event, that offered a valuable platform for the exchange of professional knowledge and expertise, as well as for joint development and improvement. The event confirmed that quality medical education is a common concern at the global level, which can only be further developed through international dialogue and cooperation.
Congratulations to the organizers and regional partner agencies for hosting a high-quality and inspiring event!
Further information is available on the Conference’s website:
https://www.wfmeconference.org/event/WFME2025/summary
Prof. Dr. Valéria Csépe, dr. Péter Vámosi, dr. Péter Levente Lakatos: MAB WFME 2020-Based Accreditation Standards With Quality Assurance And Assessment Focus. – the presentation is available at this link.
