The establishment and roles of the Medical Education Department in the faculty of Medicine, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah Saudi Arabia.

Medical Education departments oversee the process of medical education in medical schools and provide many educational services to support, evaluate and thus enhance the educational role of the medical school. Its roles revolve around research, teaching and providing educational support in areas of curriculum development and assessment. This paper provides a brief summary on the emergence of different medical education centers/units/departments around the world from a historical perspective. Special attention will be given to the process followed in establishing the Medical Education Department (MED) in King Abdul Aziz University (KAU). This paper also explores the roles that are currently played within the department with a reflection on documented roles of the medical education departments worldwide. Special emphasis will be given to explore the current challenges faced by KAU MED and proposed suggestions to improve these challenges will also be addressed.