Accreditation by the Maharashtra Medical Council
We are pleased to share that the Maharashtra Medical Council – MMC Accredits QMed Webinars. for CPD – (Continuous Professional Development) programs! Medical professionals participating in these webinars will be eligible to receive CPD credit hours as recognized by the Council.
Focused Education in Core Information Skills
What makes this accreditation particularly significant is the nature of the education being recognized. QMed’s work focuses on structured teaching in medical literature searching and reference management—core competencies that underpin evidence-based medicine, yet remain underrepresented in formal medical training. These skills extend beyond research and are essential for academic writing, clinical decision-making, guideline development, and lifelong learning in clinical practice.
Why Systematic Literature Searching Matters
At the heart of QMed’s approach is the recognition that how medical information is identified, assessed, and organized has far-reaching implications. Systematic literature searching is a foundational requirement for conducting systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and developing clinical practice guidelines—all of which influence national health programs, standards of care, and health policy. QMed actively teaches these skills, enabling clinicians and researchers to engage rigorously with the evidence that shapes healthcare in India.
A Medical Librarianship–Led Approach
Equally important is that this model of education is grounded in the principles of medical librarianship, emphasizing methodological rigor, transparency of sources, and reproducibility. Accreditation by a statutory medical council reflects a growing recognition of the value that information professionals bring to medical education and clinical practice.
Looking Ahead
MMC Accrediting QMed Webinars – We hope this accreditation represents a first step. As the importance of information skills becomes increasingly evident, there is an opportunity for other State Medical Councils—and National Regulatory Bodies such as the ICMR, the National Medical Commission, the NBEMS, the Dental Council of India, and all similar health sciences councils —to recognize and integrate structured training in literature searching and reference management into formal health professions curricula. Strengthening these foundational competencies can enhance the quality of research, education, and patient care across disciplines. We urge bodies like the Academy of Health Professions Education (AHPE) to give a voice to this need.
We hope that everyone reading this post, will help make this happen!
Feedback for this milestone
When we shared the news that MMC accredits QMed webinars, we received a lot of wonderful feedback. Sharing a few:
Gratitude
As the Founder of QMed – I would like to personally thank important entities, events and some individuals for the grounding that helped me in showcasing the core importance of Library & Information Sciences in the field of Medical and Allied Health
- The Bombay University Department of Library Science and the IGNOU for my Foundations in the field of Information Sciences
- All my teachers (many of them) in both these institutions, but specially late Prof AC Tikekar – for telling me “Your users matter most”, Dr Vijaya Rajhansa for instilling the love of “Reference Services” and the late Ms. Shantha Venkatesan for her training for the “mini thesis” that I wrote.
- The Medical Library Association of the USA, for learning opportunities at the MLA’s Annual Meetings 2012, 2013 and 2017, and its Mailing list – Medlib-L, the International Congress of Medical Librarianship for similar opportunities in 2000, 2005, 2009, the Cochrane Colloquia in 2011 and 2014 and the International Conference of Clinical Librarians organized by the CILIP
Lastly – the INSTATS for its courses that still help us learn. - Several International Librarians for all their insights, teaching, cheer and support – Andrew Booth, Carol Lefebvre, Julie Glanville, Julie Garrison, Julia Kochi, Ann Glusker, Connie Schardt, Margaret “Peg” Allen and Fred King
- Pamela Seiving, Bette Anton and Reba Isaac for their recurring donations over several years.
- Every donor who has given once or several times
- All health sciences students and professionals who have valued our work over decades and contributed in some way or more to reach this recognition! That’s a large number.
#QMed #MedicalEducation #CPD #MMC #EvidenceBasedMedicine #MedicalLibrarianship #LiteratureSearching #ReferenceManagement #HealthcareEducation
