Accreditation demonstrates that an institution has met rigorous standards, providing confidence that its curriculum is comparable to well-established medical schools. In addition to being an important quality indicator, many countries require that graduates of foreign medical schools applying for licensure in their countries be graduates of an accredited medical school. With accreditation being an important quality indicator, many countries require that graduates of foreign medical schools applying for licensure in their countries be graduates of an accredited medical school.

OUM was first accredited in 2010 by the Philippine Accrediting Association for Schools, Colleges and Universities (PAASCU), which at the time was one of the 21 medical school accrediting bodies worldwide deemed by the US Department of Education’s National Committee for Foreign Medical Education Accreditation as having standards equivalent to those of the US. In 2015, OUM underwent PAASCU’s rigorous re-accreditation, was awarded level-two status, and today is accredited through April 2025.

PAASCU has now been accredited by the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME). Beginning in 2025, graduates of international medical schools who plan to practice in the United States must have earned their degree from a medical school whose accrediting body is recognized by WFME. As OUM is a Samoan medical school, PAASCU and Samoa’s accrediting agency (SQA) are in the process of signing a Memorandum of Agreement indicating SQA’s recognition of PAASCU’s accreditation of OUM, which will enable PAASCU’s WFME recognition to extend to OUM.

In addition to being internationally accredited, OUM is recognized by the following entities:

Being recognized by these organizations is a prerequisite in many countries for international medical school graduates to apply for licensure.

OUM graduates planning to practice medicine in Australia are eligible to sit the AMC licensing exams, and graduates planning to practice in New Zealand are eligible to sit for the New Zealand Registration Exam (NZREX).

OUM graduates are also eligible to obtain ECFMG certification. In the US, in addition to passing the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), students of foreign medical schools must obtain ECFMG certification to begin a US residency program. For more information, visit: https://www.ecfmg.org/accreditation.