Graduate Tracking

Contributions to the Medical Education Partnership Initiative

Overview of CapacityPlus's support to build the capacity of MEPI-supported schools in three technical areas: graduate tracking, eLearning, and community-based education (CBE).

MEPI Connect—An Open Source Graduate Tracking Software System: Resource Requirements to Customize and Implement the System

MEPI Connect is a software system that supports medical schools to track and engage with their graduates. The system allows users to view and analyze graduates’ demographic and professional information. The information is obtained initially from the school registrar’s office, then from the graduates themselves, and, when possible, from human resources information systems at ministries of health and/or professional councils. The software was developed by the PEPFAR-funded Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Physician Tracking Technical Working Group in collaboration with CapacityPlus and the MEPI Coordinating Center. This document describes resource requirements to customize and implement the system.

Building the “Educational Home”: Staying Connected to Alumni with MEPI Graduate Tracking in Tanzania

This case study is part of the interactive ePlatform for the World Health Organization’s guidelines on transforming and scaling up health professionals’ education and training. CapacityPlus is collaborating with the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Coordinating Center, MEPI Physician Tracking Technical Working Group, and MEPI-supported medical schools in 11 African countries to develop resources and good practices for graduate tracking and to foster exchange through a regional graduate tracking network. The MEPI Connect graduate tracking software is helping African medical schools to remain connected with their graduates. Tracking allows institutions to assess the effectiveness of strategies to retain graduates at posts in underserved areas.

Building the “Educational Home”: Staying Connected to Alumni with MEPI Graduate Tracking in Ethiopia

This case study is part of the interactive ePlatform for the World Health Organization’s guidelines on transforming and scaling up health professionals’ education and training. CapacityPlus is collaborating with the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Coordinating Center, MEPI Physician Tracking Technical Working Group, and MEPI-supported medical schools in 11 African countries to develop resources and good practices for graduate tracking and to foster exchange through a regional graduate tracking network. The MEPI Connect graduate tracking software is helping African medical schools to remain connected with their graduates. Tracking allows institutions to assess the effectiveness of strategies to retain graduates at posts in underserved areas.

Building the “Educational Home”: Staying Connected to Alumni with MEPI Graduate Tracking in Ghana

This case study is part of the interactive ePlatform for the World Health Organization’s guidelines on transforming and scaling up health professionals’ education and training. CapacityPlus is collaborating with the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Coordinating Center, MEPI Physician Tracking Technical Working Group, and MEPI-supported medical schools in 11 African countries to develop resources and good practices for graduate tracking and to foster exchange through a regional graduate tracking network. The MEPI Connect graduate tracking software is helping African medical schools to remain connected with their graduates. Tracking allows institutions to assess the effectiveness of strategies to retain graduates at posts in underserved areas.

MEPI Connect – “Uganisha”: Graduate Tracking Software developed by the MEPI Technical Working Group for Graduate Tracking

This presentation was given on August 7, 2014, at the Physician Tracking Technical Working Group Session during the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Annual Symposium in Maputo, Mozambique.

The Medical Education Partnership Initiative: Report of the Graduate Tracking Software Review and Implementation Workshop

In collaboration with the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Physician Tracking Technical Working Group, CapacityPlus and the MEPI Coordinating Center conducted a Graduate Tracking Software Review and Implementation Workshop in Moshi, Tanzania, July 8–11, 2014. Participants reviewed the beta version of the graduate tracking software and provided additional feedback to finalize its functional requirements, data elements, forms, reports, and other features. Each MEPI-supported school representative developed a draft 100-day strategic action plan for his/her institution with three common outcome objectives: 1) build/achieve consensus from key stakeholders on how to apply the software; 2) define needs for adapting, deploying, and maintaining the software; and 3) deploy the software.

The Medical Education Partnership Initiative Physician Tracking Technical Working Group: Functional Requirements and Data Specifications Development Workshop

The Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Physician Tracking Technical Working Group convened a workshop in Lusaka, Zambia, to develop the functional requirements and business processes necessary to construct a framework for tracking graduates. Held on October 21–23, 2013, the workshop was a collaborative effort among the chair of the Technical Working Group, the MEPI Coordinating Center, CapacityPlus, and the Public Health Informatics Institute. Each participating school formulated a graduate tracking vision and identified needed tools and guidance. The group selected software, capacity-building, and infrastructure as the top three priorities on which the MEPI Technical Working Group should focus its time and energy. Going forward, participants agreed to share what each institution is doing to develop graduate tracking, hold institutions accountable for their progress, network to sustain momentum, jointly develop graduate tracking tools, collaborate to develop articles, and assist institutions in tracking graduates across borders.

Graduate Tracking Systems for the Medical Schools in Africa: Processes for Developing an Implementation Framework

Human resources for health are critical for effective health systems. In Africa, the number of doctors and nurses required to provide essential health services will be deficient by an estimated 800,000 in 2015. Numerous interventions have been implemented to mitigate these shortages; tracking graduates from African universities is critical to determine whether interventions are effective. Based on a community of practice theory, a Graduate Tracking Technical Working Group was established within the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) network. The group, with CapacityPlus, developed graduate tracking requirements for MEPI institutions and countries through a collaborative process. A framework was created to guide the establishment of graduate tracking systems consisting of seven core processes or elements: 1) general requirements; 2) locate graduates; 3) collect/update information; 4) search and view information; 5) create tracking survey tools; 6) manage tracking survey response data; and 7) generate reports. CapacityPlus’s Dykki Settle contributed to this article in the journal’s MEPI supplement issue.

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