Figure not shown: A comparative chart cannot be presented because the underlying data are not available from a verified primary source. This figure will be added when the relevant data are published or made available by the originating institution.
Source: WFME 2024 member survey; PHIG analysis; national medical education ministry reports.[2,7] Georgia = 0% criteria met — the only major South Caucasus country with no CBME element. Canada = 100% (CanMEDS system, the global reference).
5. Proposed Transition Pathway
Phase 1 (2025–2026): OSCE standardisation at DTMU. Implement standardised OSCE assessments for all six clinical years, aligned with the WHO/WFME clinical competency minimum set. Estimated cost: USD 120,000 in faculty development and infrastructure.
Phase 2 (2026–2028): EPA definition and workplace-based assessment pilot. Define 12–16 core EPAs for Georgian medical graduates in collaboration with MoLHSA and the PHIG hospital network. Pilot WBA using direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) and mini-clinical evaluation exercises (mini-CEX) at 4 PHIG partner hospitals.
Phase 3 (2028–2030): Full CBME framework adoption and regulatory alignment. Revise MoLHSA medical licensing regulations to require competency portfolio submission at graduation; align DTMU accreditation standards with WFME 2023 criteria; extend framework to TSU-Med and Geomedi.
6. Limitations
Curriculum data were drawn from publicly available academic regulations; informal teaching and assessment practices may differ. The evidence base for CBME in LMIC settings, while growing, is less robust than for high-income country settings; effect sizes from Canada and the Netherlands may not translate directly. Cost estimates are indicative and subject to institutional costing.
7. Conclusions
Georgia’s medical schools produce graduates whose clinical competency at licensure is unverified by any internationally recognised standard. The CBME transition is technically feasible, financially accessible, and supported by a robust international evidence base. DTMU, as the institution where PHIG’s School of Public Health is based, is positioned to lead this transition and serve as the regional reference model for the South Caucasus.
References
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Vancouver:
Pkhakadze G, on behalf of the PHIG Analysis and Intelligence Team. Competency-based education in Georgian medical universities: the case for transition. PHIG Intelligence and Analysis [Internet]. 2025 Mar [cited ]; Available from: https://publichealth.ge/competency-based-medical-education-georgia/
APA 7th ed.:
Pkhakadze, G., & PHIG Analysis and Intelligence Team. (2025 Mar). Competency-based education in Georgian medical universities: the case for transition. Public Health Institute of Georgia. https://publichealth.ge/competency-based-medical-education-georgia/
© 2025 Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG). Open access under CC BY-NC 4.0. Non-commercial reproduction permitted with attribution. Publisher: PHIG, 3 Betlemi Rise, Tbilisi 0105, Georgia.
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