The Avicenna Directory project was a public database of worldwide

medical schools A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, ...

, schools of pharmacy, schools of

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

and educational institutions of other academic health professions. The Avicenna Directory was maintained by the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

in collaboration with the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

(WHO) and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) in the years 2008-2015. In 2013, the Avicenna Directory was merged with the

International Medical Education Directory The International Medical Education Directory (IMED) was a public database of worldwide medical schools. The IMED was published as a joint collaboration of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and the Foundation for Adva ...

(IMED) to create the

World Directory of Medical Schools The World Directory of Medical Schools is a public database of institutions that provide medical education. There are over 3,600 medical schools listed in the directory. The directory is published as a collaboration of the World Federation for Med ...

. This new directory was launched in April 2014. The project was named after

Avicenna Ibn Sina ( fa, ابن سینا; 980 – June 1037 CE), commonly known in the West as Avicenna (), was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and writers of the Islamic ...

, a Muslim Persian physician and philosopher born near

Bukhara Bukhara ( Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region. People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and the city ...

in the 10th century.

AVICENNA Directory for medicine

The AVICENNA Directory for medicine was a public database of worldwide medical schools. It replaced the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools in 2008.

History

The WHO published the World Directory of Medical Schools from 1953–2007. The seventh and final print edition of the directory was published in 2000 and listed around 1700 schools in 162 countries. Between 2000-2007, the WHO published the directory electronically, along with updates received after the 2000 print publication. In August 2007, the WHO signed an agreement with the University of Copenhagen to transfer responsibility for development and maintenance of the directory. In March 2008, the AVICENNA project was announced and in August 2008, the contents of the World Directory of Medical Schools were transferred to the AVICENNA Directory for medicine. In 2013, the AVICENNA Directories merged with the

(IMED) to create the

Purpose

The Avicenna Directory included contact details, admission rules, program descriptions, titles of degrees and diplomas awarded, and accreditation status of institutions.

Collaborating organizations

The Avicenna Directories are maintained and primarily developed at the University of Copenhagen. Collaborating organizations on the project include: *

*World Federation for Medical Education * International Pharmaceutical Federation *World Federation of Public Health Associations * Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research *International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities * United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

References

{{reflist

External links

World Directory of Medical Schools (WDMS)

FAIMER website
Higher education World Health Organization