This document discusses how to increase social accountability in medical education. It outlines the global consensus for social accountability of medical schools which includes responding to health needs in society, reorienting education accordingly, strengthening governance, and using evaluation. It questions how to inspire students' social conscience, best assess the development of social accountability in students, and how community participation can increase social accountability.

1. How to make social accountability accountable?
Dr Carole Reeve
Associate Prof Lucie Walters
Associate Prof Sarah Larkins

2. Faculty/Presenter Disclosure
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Faculty: Carole Reeve, Lucie Walters, Sarah Larkin
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Relationships with commercial interests:
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Grants/Research Support: the Rural Clinical Training and Support programs is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health.
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Speakers Bureau/Honoraria: none
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Consulting Fees: none
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Other: Flinders University and James Cook University are founding members of THEnet

3. Aim
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How to reorient medical education to respond to current and future health needs and challenges; and
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How to evaluate the resulting performance and impact.

4. The Global Consensus for social accountability of medical schools
• Respond to current and future health needs and challenges in society
• Reorient their education, research and service priorities accordingly
• Strengthen governance and partnerships with other stakeholders
• Use evaluation and accreditation to assess performance and impact

5. Mismatch between health providers and people with the greatest need

7. Transform health professional education to meet local needs.

8. Importance of community experience

9. Partnerships are essential

10. Questions for discussion:
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How can we best inspire students to maintain a pre- existing social conscience?
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What assessment methods capture the development of social accountability in students and who is best placed to assess this?
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How can increased social accountability in medical education be evaluated?
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How can community participation play a role in increasing social accountability?