First international partner achieves Royal College Accredited Program status
OTTAWA, August 9, 2019 –The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) is pleased to announce that the Kazan State Medical University (KSMU) of Kazan, Russia has become its first international partner to achieve Royal College Accredited Program status for one of its residency programs.
The decision from the Royal College’s International (residency) Program Review and Accreditation Committee was announced to KSMU earlier in July, following the program’s successful application and onsite review. Subject matter experts involved in the comprehensive evaluation were Royal College Fellows with accreditation experience and specialty-specific expertise in Internal Medicine, to review the program against the Royal College general and specialty-specific standards of accreditation.
“On behalf of the Royal College, it is my pleasure to extend congratulations to Kazan State Medical University on receiving New Accredited Program status for its English-language Internal Medicine program,” said Dr. Andrew Padmos, chief executive officer of the Royal College.
“We recognize that this exceptional achievement is the result of years of hard work and dedication by KSMU’s faculty and leadership,” he added.

Left to right: Dr. Ramin Ahmadi, co-founder, Organization for the Support and Advancement of Residency Accreditation; Dr. Abdul Karim Qayumi, regional director, Royal College International; Dr. Andrew Padmos, chief executive officer, Royal College; Dr. Marat Mukhamedyarov, senior educational officer, KSMU; Dr. Alexey Sozinov, rector, KSMU; and Dr. Adelya Maksudova, program director (Internal Medicine), KSMU
Royal College Accredited Program status means that an international program:
- meets the Royal College’s highest postgraduate medical educational (PGME) standards and is equivalent to Canadian accredited programs;
- is subject to the same privileges and obligations as Canadian accredited programs;
- enables graduates to have access to Royal College examinations and routes to certification;
- will undergo ongoing quality improvement through cyclical reviews, including accreditation reviews that Canadian PGME offices and programs follow; and
- has access to the expertise and experience of world leaders in PGME.
An ongoing collaboration to improve patient care
For the Royal College and KSMU, that collaboration began in 2016 with an initial program consultation, institutional review and workshop, which then further developed to KSMU achieving Royal College Accredited Institution status on April 17, 2017 – a status that all medical education institutions must achieve before programs are eligible to apply for accreditation.
“Canada is known globally for its high standards in specialty education, lifelong learning and patient care. We are very pleased to bring those high standards to countries around the world,” said Dr. Jason Frank, director of specialty education, strategy and standards at the Royal College. “This partnership with KSMU is the next step in our collaboration to advance training and improve the care of patients. We look forward to continuing this work with KSMU and our other partners around the world.”
About the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada is the national professional association that oversees the medical education of specialists in Canada. We accredit the university programs that train resident physicians for their specialty practices, and we administer the examinations that residents must pass to become certified as specialists. In collaboration with health organizations and government agencies, the Royal College also plays a role in developing sound health policy in Canada.
Our vision is to be the global leader in specialty medical education and care, by enabling our Fellows to deliver the best specialty care for patients and contribute to the improvement of population health in Canada and abroad.
About Kazan State Medical University
Kazan State Medical University (KSMU) is one of the leading and oldest medical schools in Russia. Established in 1814, KSMU currently is a multi-level state educational institution of Russian Ministry of Healthcare that exceeds standards in medical education through the continued development of biomedical and clinical sciences in order to improve population health. Being home to more than 6000 students and residents, KSMU offers MD, bachelor and postgraduate degree programs in Clinical Medicine, Basic Medicine, Preventive Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing and Social Work.
For more information, contact communications@royalcollege.ca.