• Aided by a written guide provided by the AMC, the institution prepares and lodges a Stage 1 submission, well in advance of the proposed course commencement and pays any application fee.
• The Medical School Accreditation Committee reviews the submission and provides advice and a recommendation to the AMC Directors on the readiness of the institution and the program to undergo assessment.

The AMC will consider if the planned curriculum is likely to comply with the AMC Accreditation Standards and if the institution has demonstrated that it is able to implement the course.  

Should the AMC invite the institution to proceed to assessment by an AMC team, in preparation for the assessment, the institution would be required to present:

• the outline of the full course with details for at least the first two years;
• details of the financial, physical and staff resources available to design and implement all years of the course, and to support the course when fully established; and an institutional assessment of strengths and weaknesses. The institution may choose to present the detailed curriculum and implementation plans either on the entire new course or in progressive stages.  Should the institution present its plans in stages, these plans will require separate follow-up assessment.  

Definition of a major change in an established course

The AMC defines a major change in a medical course as a change in the length or format of the course, including the introduction of new distinct streams; a significant change in objectives; a substantial change in educational philosophy, emphasis or institutional setting.  Significant changes forced by a major reduction in resources leading to an inability to achieve the objectives of the existing course would also come into this category.  

In deciding to grant accreditation, the AMC makes a judgement about the adequacy and appropriateness of the total resources available to support the course. For this reason, whilst it does not accredit programs for a specific student intake, the AMC would consider a substantial change in student numbers relative to resources to be a major course change.  The AMC expects schools will report on any planned or proposed increases in intake in periodic reports.

The delivery of an AMC-accredited medical course in other countries is a major course change, as is the disestablishment of an offshore offering of an AMC-accredited medical course.  The AMC recognises that there are many possible options for offering Australian/New Zealand higher education courses overseas.  It will assess only proposals to deliver Australian/New Zealand medical courses overseas that are in accord with the purpose of AMC accreditation.  A separate AMC policy statement, available from the Secretariat, provides the AMC definition of these proposals and the additional requirements for assessment of such proposals.

Full details on the procedures for assessment of new developments are provided in the AMC’s Assessment and Accreditation of Medical Schools: Standards and Procedures.