September 7, 2018 in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the first time passed the international exam IFOM (International Foundations of Medicine), created by the National Council of Medical Examiners USA (NBME). The purpose of the exam is to test knowledge for compliance with the advanced international standards of medical education. The exam is two-stage: the first stage is given after mastering the basic subjects of medicine (IFOM BSE), the second is after passing the clinical disciplines (IFOM CSE). At the moment, IFOM is considered the assessment standard of medical education in the United States, as well as in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal and other European countries.

In our country an international exam was taken by three Medical Institute: Karaganda State Medical University, Kazakh National Medical University   S.D.Asfendiyarov and Medical University of Astana. Students of KSMU passed the examination together with their Astana colleagues. NBME representatives thanked the students-participants of the exam for readiness for cooperation and noted the high level of organization from the partner universities.

11.09.2018 the students met with the pro-rector for educational-methodical work of KSMU Ricklefs Viktor Petrovich to discuss the details and share their opinion about the exam itself. The students noted that they had a unique opportunity to get acquainted with international standardized requirements for passing highly reliable and valid high-level exams, to compare the format and content of test questions, and to assess their level of knowledge for successfully passing qualification examinations at the international level. The students shared their impressions of the exam, noted their strengths and weaknesses, and voiced a vision for further improving the quality of the educational process and educational programs.