ISLAMABAD: Information has been floating in Pakistan that the World Federation for Medical Education has directed all the medical schools to follow a specific medical curriculum devised by World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), said advisor of the federation Prof Dr Janet Grant on Wednesday. She said this during a meeting with representatives of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). Dr Janet said that as per WFME standards, it has been understood by some, that the standards are prescriptive, and a medical curriculum should be developed in exact accordance with them, regardless of the local needs and requirements. “We would like to clarify that this is untrue,” she added. She further said that the WFME standards were developed to help deans of medical schools, and staff who manage medical education and design the curriculum, in their work of making appropriate decisions for their own context in their respective countries. She added that WFME does not prescribe any particular way of developing or managing the curriculum.” We do not promote any particular approach to curriculum design, teaching and learning, or assessment.” The standards are intended to guide the development and evaluation of medical education programmes, to help diagnose strengths and weaknesses in the medical education programme, and to stimulate quality improvement. She said that each institution or regulator should review the relevant standards and develop a version of them that is appropriate to their local context. She said that WFME expects to see a wide variety of curriculum designs, teaching and learning approaches and assessment systems that are appropriate to their local context of their respective countries. The PMDC assured her of support in clarifying the misconceptions regarding the WFME policies and directives to all medical schools in Pakistan. In this regard he also directed to take measure to inform regarding the matter in all universities in Pakistan. Prof Dr Mubashir Malik, special adviser to PMDC president, said that the visit of Prof Janet shall be fruitful for the Pakistani medical education as she is highly professional in her field and WFME is a foundation to enhance and improve educational opportunities, research, and data resources that inform health care policies and create sustained improvements in health outcomes. Prof Dr Janet Grant is PhD, FBPS, FRCGP (hon), FRCP (hon), MRCR (hon) is WFME special adviser and is Director of Cen MEDIC (the Centre for Medical Education in Context) and the FAIMER Centre for Distance Learning. She is emeritus professor of education in medicine at the Open University in the UK. Her interests are in policy research in medical education, regulation, educational development, continuing professional development and curriculum. Published in Daily Times, December 7th 2017.