ASPIRE to excellence: Making health systems socially accountable

This article explores the evolving landscape of social accountability in medical education through the lens of the AMEE ASPIRE-to-Excellence initiative. Social accountability has become increasingly recognized as a fundamental principle in health professional education, requiring health professional education and training programs to align their teaching, research, and service activities with the priority health concerns, namely those of the communities they serve. Drawing on the ASPIRE Social Accountability criteria, this paper outlines how these elements function not only as assessment tools but as building blocks for embedding social accountability into curricula and institutional missions. Essential elements include mission-driven leadership and governance, community co-design, equitable student recruitment, socially responsive curricula, community-engaged research, contribution to health services, impact measurement, and continuous quality improvement. The paper illustrates this through examples of excellence in different contexts and identifies key challenges and strategies for expanding social accountability in health professional education and training programs. The discussion emphasizes that social accountability is a dynamic, context-sensitive endeavor grounded in authentic partnerships, continuous quality improvement, and an inclusive approach to health, equity and diversity. The conclusion highlights the call to action: to embrace these criteria as living elements that can guide institutions in fostering socially accountable, environmentally sustainable, and technologically responsive health professionals.