The quality assurance policy of the Department aligns with the quality policy of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and aims to achieve quality objectives related to its operations, particularly the organization and functioning of its Undergraduate Programs (UPs). It focuses on the continuous improvement of the quality of the curriculum and its educational, research, and administrative work to adapt to modern academic and research conditions.

The Department is committed to implementing a quality policy that supports the academic profile and orientation of the UPs, clearly promotes its purpose and subject matter, achieves the Department’s strategic goals, and outlines the appropriate actions and means to achieve continuous improvement.

The UPs’ goals are as follows:

1. High standard and quality of studies based on international criteria.
2. Providing knowledge with an emphasis on both basic sciences and clinical work through modern educational practices such as problem-based learning (PBL) and integrated teaching in medical education, while fostering critical, creative, and research thinking.
3. The correct combination of depth and breadth of knowledge.
4. Familiarity with cutting-edge fields and conducting laboratory and clinical work combined with international-level research.

Achieving these goals is a primary concern of the Department and is made possible through the high-quality faculty members and the active participation of students in its activities.

More specifically, on an annual basis, coordinated by the Internal Evaluation and Accreditation Unit (OMEA) and with the assistance of all the Department’s bodies and committees, data is collected, recorded, and processed, including quantitative data on the implementation of study programs at all levels (undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral), the progress and development of students, the recruitment and development of teaching staff and other scientific and research personnel, the Department’s research output at individual and collective levels of faculty members, and any other issue related to the Department’s functioning and the achievement of its goals and priorities. The results of the internal evaluation are presented in a special session of the UP Committee and then to the Department Assembly, where necessary corrective and improvement actions are decided.

The goals and quality policy of the UPs are publicly posted and available on the official website of the Department of Medicine under the link titled “Quality Policy.”

The quality policy is implemented through:

• Commitment to compliance with the institution’s legal and regulatory framework.
• Establishment, review, redesign, and redefinition of quality assurance objectives, fully aligned with the institution’s strategy.

This policy mainly supports:

• The organization of the internal quality assurance system.
• The assumption of responsibilities and initiatives by the Department leadership, committees, and other operational units, faculty members, administrative staff, and students, as well as the role they play in quality assurance.
• Safeguarding academic principles and ethics, preventing discrimination, and encouraging the participation of external bodies in quality assurance.
• Continuous improvement of learning and teaching, research, and innovation.
• Quality assurance of study programs and their compliance with the special standards of the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE).
• Effective organization of services and development and maintenance of infrastructure.
• Allocation and effective management of the necessary resources for the Department’s operation.
• Development and rational allocation of human resources.

Procedures that serve the specific objectives of the quality policy:

The UP Committee is responsible for the periodic inspection and annual review of the following quality policy parameters:

• Appropriateness of educational infrastructure, recording and evaluation of improvement needs.
• Recording and evaluation of the need for renewal or acquisition of necessary educational materials.
• Regular monitoring of faculty evaluations by students through anonymous questionnaires and annual analysis of UP evaluations by the faculty. The criteria for evaluating faculty members according to the internal regulations of the Department of Medicine for selecting new instructors and assessing their proficiency in English are also stipulated.
• Periodic recording of student and faculty satisfaction with the support services offered by the UPs, and periodic recording and evaluation of the needs of support services.