The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar (Unismuh) conducted a benchmarking visit to the School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), as part of its preparation for establishing specialist medical education programs in surgery, anesthesiology and intensive care, and dermatovenereology. The visit took place on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, at the USM Health Campus in Kelantan, Malaysia.

The benchmarking activity aimed to study the management of specialist medical education and the medical curriculum that has been developed by USM since 1979. Through this visit, FMHS Unismuh seeks to establish high-quality specialist medical education programs that meet both national and international accreditation standards. During the discussions, the delegation addressed issues related to staffing requirements, clinical rotation patterns, and partnership schemes with teaching hospitals necessary for opening specialist programs in Makassar.

In the meeting, the FMHS Unismuh delegation engaged in in-depth discussions with the leadership of the School of Medical Sciences USM regarding organizational structure, the number of academic staff, curriculum models, and the system of specialist and subspecialist training that constitutes one of USM’s core strengths. The outcomes of this benchmarking activity are expected to serve as a technical reference for Unismuh Makassar in designing structured, competent, and internationally standardized specialist education programs.

The FMHS Unismuh delegation was led by the Dean of FMHS Unismuh Makassar, Prof. Dr. dr. Suryani As’ad, M.Sc., Sp.GK (K), accompanied by the Vice Dean I, Dr. dr. A. Weri Sompa, Sp.N (K), along with several clinical lecturers from various disciplines. They attended an official presentation delivered by the leadership of the School of Medical Sciences USM, which outlined the institution’s profile, history, and achievements in medical education.

In his remarks, the USM leadership emphasized that the School of Medical Sciences does not use the term “faculty,” but rather “school,” as it operates under a single Health Campus umbrella that also encompasses the School of Dental Sciences, the School of Health Sciences, and USM’s specialist hospital. “We are under the Health Campus, with several integrated schools, including Universiti Sains Malaysia’s specialist hospital,” stated a representative of the School of Medical Sciences USM.

The USM leadership further highlighted that the main strength of the School of Medical Sciences lies in its postgraduate programs, particularly specialist and subspecialist medical education. “We have nearly 2,000 postgraduate students, and approximately 1,500 of them are enrolled in clinical specialist training,” he explained. In addition to clinical specialist programs, USM also offers Master of Science, Master of Medicine, and Doctoral (Ph.D.) programs that attract students from various countries. According to USM leadership, the large number of specialist trainees directly contributes to strengthening clinical departments and the development of referral health services.

Prof. Suryani As’ad expressed her hope that USM’s experience in managing nearly 1,500 specialist trainees could serve as a model for program development at Unismuh. She noted that strengthening international networks through benchmarking activities such as this would accelerate the preparation of academic documents and supporting regulations required for establishing specialist programs.

On a separate occasion, the leadership of FMHS Unismuh invited USM representatives to conduct a return visit to Makassar in April, approximately two months after the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. “So, we are inviting you all in April, two months later after Raya, hopefully you can come and we can discuss,” stated the FMHS Unismuh leadership during the closing session of the meeting. The invitation aims to further deepen technical discussions on curriculum development, academic quality assurance, and opportunities for faculty and student mobility between the two institutions. FMHS Unismuh hopes that the follow-up meeting in Makassar will result in more concrete cooperation plans in specialist education and health research.

The benchmarking visit by FMHS Unismuh to the School of Medical Sciences USM represents a strategic step in strengthening medical education capacity and preparing specialist programs that are responsive to healthcare needs in Eastern Indonesia. Through follow-up cooperation and the planned return visit in April, both institutions are expected to formulate a sustainable joint agenda in the fields of education, research, and community service.

Reporter: dr. Ikhsan Mursad

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FKIK Unismuh Lakukan Benchmarking Pembentukan Program Spesialis di USM

Fakultas Kedokteran dan Ilmu Kesehatan Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar (FKIK Unismuh) melakukan kunjungan benchmarking ke School of Medical Sciences Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) untuk mempersiapkan pembentukan program studi pendidikan dokter spesialis bedah, anestesi dan terapi intensif, serta dermatovenerologi pada Rabu, 14 Januari 2026. 
Kegiatan ini digelar di Kampus Kesehatan USM di Kelantan, Malaysia, guna mempelajari pengelolaan pendidikan spesialis dan kurikulum kedokteran yang telah dikembangkan USM sejak 1979.

Melalui kunjungan ini, FKIK Unismuh menargetkan terbentuknya program studi pendidikan dokter spesialis bedah, anestesi dan terapi intensif, serta dermatovenerologi yang berkualitas dan memenuhi standar akreditasi nasional maupun internasional. Rombongan dosen berdiskusi mengenai kebutuhan jumlah staf, pola rotasi klinik, serta skema kerja sama rumah sakit pendidikan yang diperlukan untuk membuka program spesialis di Makassar. 

Dalam pertemuan tersebut, rombongan dosen FKIK Unismuh berdiskusi dengan pimpinan School of Medical Sciences USM mengenai struktur organisasi, jumlah staf akademik, model kurikulum, hingga sistem pembinaan dokter spesialis dan subspesialis yang menjadi kekuatan utama USM. Hasil benchmarking ini diharapkan menjadi rujukan teknis bagi Unismuh Makassar untuk merancang program pendidikan spesialis yang terstruktur, kompeten, dan berstandar internasional.

Rombongan FKIK Unismuh dipimpin Dekan FKIK Unismuh Makassar, Prof. Dr. dr. Suryani As’ad, M.Sc., Sp.GK (K), didampingi Wakil Dekan I FKIK Unismuh Makassar, Dr. dr. A. Weri Sompa, Sp.N (K), serta sejumlah dosen klinis dari berbagai disiplin. Mereka mengikuti paparan resmi dari pimpinan School of Medical Sciences USM yang menjelaskan profil kelembagaan, sejarah, dan capaian pendidikan kedokteran di kampus tersebut.

Dalam sambutannya, pimpinan USM menegaskan bahwa School of Medical Sciences tidak menggunakan istilah fakultas, melainkan “school” karena berada dalam satu Payung Kampus Kesehatan yang juga menaungi School of Dental Sciences, School of Health Sciences, dan rumah sakit spesialis milik USM.“Kami berada di bawah Health Campus, dengan beberapa school yang saling terintegrasi, termasuk rumah sakit spesialis Universiti Sains Malaysia,” ujar pimpinan School of Medical Sciences USM. 

Pimpinan USM menekankan bahwa kekuatan utama School of Medical Sciences terletak pada program pascasarjana, khususnya pendidikan dokter spesialis dan subspesialis. “Kami memiliki hampir 2.000 mahasiswa pascasarjana, dan sekitar 1.500 di antaranya mengikuti pelatihan klinis spesialis,” katanya. Selain program spesialis klinis, USM juga menyelenggarakan program magister sains, magister kedokteran, dan doktor (Ph.D.) yang menarik mahasiswa dari berbagai negara. Menurut pimpinan USM, besarnya jumlah peserta pendidikan spesialis tersebut berkontribusi langsung pada penguatan departemen klinik dan pengembangan layanan kesehatan rujukan.

Prof. Suryani As’ad menyampaikan harapan agar pengalaman USM dalam mengelola hampir 1.500 peserta pendidikan spesialis dapat menjadi model pengembangan program di Unismuh. Ia menilai, penguatan jejaring internasional melalui benchmarking ini akan mempercepat proses persiapan dokumen akademik dan regulasi pendukung pembentukan program spesialis.

Dalam kesempatan terpisah, pimpinan FKIK Unismuh mengundang pihak USM untuk melakukan kunjungan balasan ke Makassar pada April mendatang, sekitar dua bulan setelah perayaan Idulfitri. “So, we are inviting you all in April, two months later after Raya, hopefully you can come and we can discuss,” ujar pimpinan FKIK Unismuh dalam sesi penutupan pertemuan. 
Undangan tersebut dimaksudkan untuk memperdalam diskusi teknis mengenai penyusunan kurikulum, penjaminan mutu akademik, dan peluang mobilitas dosen maupun mahasiswa antara kedua institusi. FKIK Unismuh berharap pertemuan lanjutan di Makassar dapat menghasilkan rencana kerja sama yang lebih konkret dalam bidang pendidikan spesialis dan riset kesehatan.

Kunjungan benchmarking FKIK Unismuh ke School of Medical Sciences USM menjadi langkah strategis dalam memperkuat kapasitas pendidikan kedokteran dan menyiapkan program spesialis yang responsif terhadap kebutuhan layanan kesehatan di Indonesia Timur. Melalui tindak lanjut kerja sama dan kunjungan balasan pada April, kedua institusi diharapkan dapat menyusun agenda bersama yang berkelanjutan di bidang pendidikan, penelitian, dan pengabdian kepada masyarakat.

Reporter : dr. Ikhsan Mursad