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Redefining social accountability for medical schools – beyond codes and contracts to measuring contributions.

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Title: Redefining social accountability for medical schools – beyond codes and contracts to measuring contributions.
Authors: Tackett, Sean1 (AUTHOR) stacket1@jhmi.edu, Abdalla, Mohamed Elhassan2 (AUTHOR), Arja, Sateesh Babu3 (AUTHOR), Dubé, Tim4 (AUTHOR), Eaglen, Robert H.5 (AUTHOR), Gandomkar, Roghayeh6 (AUTHOR), Rojas, David7 (AUTHOR), Prihatiningsih, Titi Savitri8 (AUTHOR), You, You9 (AUTHOR)
Source: Medical Teacher. Jul2026, Vol. 48 Issue 7, p1170-1179. 10p.
Subject Terms: *Contracts, *Medical education, *International relations, *Medical schools, Accreditation, Social justice, Socioeconomic factors, Evaluation of human services programs, Responsibility, Medical care, Social responsibility, Human rights, Health care reform, World health, Social values, Organizational goals, Medical ethics
Company/Entity: World Health Organization
Abstract: The World Health Organization (WHO) defined 'social accountability for medical schools' in 1995; yet 30 years later, many remain concerned that medical schools are not living up to societal expectations. In this article, we first place the WHO's definition into historical context, then we contrast the WHO social 'contract', where schools are expected to demonstrate value for money, with the more altruistic 'code' that had been put forward previously by Abraham Flexner. We discuss contemporary barriers to advancing social accountability, including tacit assumptions about the semantics of the term accountability, the geographic communities schools should serve, how schools are financed, and expectations for school outcomes. We suggest that the future of social accountability for medical schools movesbeyond social codes and contracts to recognizing the varied ways that medical schools contribute to diverse individuals and groups within communities along a local to global spectrum. While it is unlikely that there will be universal consensus on what makes a medical school valuable to those whom it impacts, medical schools should make data available that allow others to render their own judgments and participate in conversations that help medical schools and medical education systems better align resources with needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Medical Teacher is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Redefining social accountability for medical schools – beyond codes and contracts to measuring contributions.
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  Data: The World Health Organization (WHO) defined 'social accountability for medical schools' in 1995; yet 30 years later, many remain concerned that medical schools are not living up to societal expectations. In this article, we first place the WHO's definition into historical context, then we contrast the WHO social 'contract', where schools are expected to demonstrate value for money, with the more altruistic 'code' that had been put forward previously by Abraham Flexner. We discuss contemporary barriers to advancing social accountability, including tacit assumptions about the semantics of the term accountability, the geographic communities schools should serve, how schools are financed, and expectations for school outcomes. We suggest that the future of social accountability for medical schools movesbeyond social codes and contracts to recognizing the varied ways that medical schools contribute to diverse individuals and groups within communities along a local to global spectrum. While it is unlikely that there will be universal consensus on what makes a medical school valuable to those whom it impacts, medical schools should make data available that allow others to render their own judgments and participate in conversations that help medical schools and medical education systems better align resources with needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Medical Teacher is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=194783041
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/0142159X.2025.2610400
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Contracts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: International relations
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical schools
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      – SubjectFull: Accreditation
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      – SubjectFull: Social justice
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      – SubjectFull: Socioeconomic factors
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      – SubjectFull: Evaluation of human services programs
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      – SubjectFull: Responsibility
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      – SubjectFull: Medical care
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      – SubjectFull: Medical ethics
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      – SubjectFull: World Health Organization
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              Text: Jul2026
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