Purpose: In 2011, five medical schools in Uganda formed the Medical Education for Equitable Services for All Ugandans consortium to address the medical education challenges in meeting the nation's health needs. In this paper, the authors document the development and achievements of this unique collaboration to transform medical education in Uganda.
Method: A longitudinal qualitative study employed anthropological techniques to examine the proposed idea and development of the consortium, the experiences of consortium members, and the successes and challenges encountered during its first three years (2011-2013).
Results: The consortium approach to medical education has made important contributions to member institutions despite initial reservations and uncertainties. Acceptance of the consortium emerged because of the added benefits accruing to individual institutions and the network. The consortium has flourished partly because of its organizational structure, the support of its leadership, the ownership and active participation by member institutions, and a strong commitment to its broader goals. However, some challenges in implementation remain, including inadequate capacity, limited grants management experience, and varying degrees of research expertise among the participating institutions.
Conclusions: Despite these challenges, the consortium approach has had a positive impact on medical education by reducing interinstitutional rivalries, promoting strong collaboration, and providing mutual support and the sharing of resources for medical education and research in Uganda.