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CWRU's School of Medicine has received the
highest marks possible from the authority that grants accreditation
to U.S. and Canadian M.D. programs.
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education
has voted to continue accreditation for the M.D. program at the
CWRU School of Medicine, identifying "no areas of partial or substantial
noncompliance with its accreditation standards." Only two other
medical schools, Wake Forest University in North Carolina and
the University of Rochester in New York, have ever received such
high marks in the entire history of the accreditation process.
"Not only is this a wonderful affirmation
of the excellence of the programs run by our medical school and
our hospital partners, but it also confirms that we have a strong
foundation upon which to build even more creative curricular elements,"
said James W. Wagner, CWRU's interim president.
Edward M. Hundert, M.D., CWRU's incoming
president and former dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry
at the University of Rochester, agreed with Wagner and said the
report is a tribute to the school's faculty, staff and students.
"This almost unprecedented report from
the LCME represents a remarkable external validation of the outstanding
quality of our School of Medicine," said Hundert. "I would like
to extend my sincerest congratulations to all faculty, students
and staff of our wonderful medical school."
The LCME is the nationally recognized accrediting
authority for medical education programs leading to the medical
degree in U.S. and Canadian medical schools. Accreditation is
a process of quality assurance that determines whether an institution
or program meets established standards for function, structure
and performance. The accreditation process also fosters institutional
and program improvement.
"This is outstanding recognition for the
exceptionally high quality and innovative nature of the scientific
and medical education program at the CWRU School of Medicine,"
said Nathan A. Berger, M.D., the school's dean and vice president
for medical affairs at CWRU. "It's a great testimonial to the
strong commitment of our faculty, administrators and staff, the
enthusiasm of our students and the quality of our affiliated hospitals.
We are proud to be recognized as one of the country's preeminent
institutions engaged in training tomorrow's doctors and discovering
tomorrow's cures and to continue in our position as a leader in
medical education."
The accreditation process includes a site
visit that typically lasts 3 days, preceded by a lengthy self-study
procedure that includes the completion of a Medical Education
Database by the school under review. The survey team normally
consists of five people. Full accreditation visits are usually
conducted every seven years.
Highlights of the LCME's ad hoc survey point
out the medical school's strengths:
- Its "well respected," "accessible" and "integrally involved"
dean, Nathan A. Berger, M.D., other administrators and "committed
faculty" who show "a persuasive enthusiasm for curriculum improvement"
- The school's Curriculum Leadership Council and Clinical Rotation
Development Council, which led a curriculum revision process
that began in the late 1990s.
- The CLC consists of the basic science faculty and clinical
faculty teaching leadership of the first two years of medical
school
- The CRDC consists of all clerkship directors as well as department
chairs, associate deans and others who have an interest in the
third-year curriculum. Clerkships are rotations that familiarize
third-year students with various areas of clinical medicine.
- The school's electronic curriculum, which makes the most of
classroom time while improving opportunities for self-directed
learning. The "eCurriculum" is accessible at all times and serves
as a gateway to Power Point files, illustrations, animations,
videos, audio files and Internet-based learning resources.
- "In general, the information technology infrastructure of
the medical school is excellent," noted Frank A. Simon 2001-2002
LCME secretary, in a letter to Wagner.
- The school's Flexible Program, which allows students to schedule
electives in special areas of interest or to pursue a dual degree
program. Among the dual degree programs available to medical
students at CWRU are those leading to a Ph.D. in a basic science
or in health service research, a juris doctor degree and master's
degrees in business administration, public health, applied anatomy
or bioethics.
- Its "articulate and energetic" students who "display enthusiasm
about their institution." "Students describe the medical school
as 'student friendly,'" wrote Simon.
- Its affiliates, which "provide a broad range of clinical experiences
and a diverse patient base." The School of Medicine's affiliates
include University Hospitals of Cleveland, MetroHealth Medical
Center, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs
Medical Center and the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.
An agreement completed after the accreditation process was finished
will establish the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
of Case Western Reserve University, which will enroll its first
class in 2004. Benefits of being accredited include:
- Most state boards of licensure require that U.S. medical schools
be accredited by the LCME as a condition for licensure of their
graduates
- Eligibility of U.S. students to take the U.S. Medical Licensing
Examination requires LCME accreditation of their school
- Graduates of LCME-accredited schools are eligible for residency
programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate
Medical Education
- The U.S. Department of Education recognizes LCME for the accreditation
of programs of medical education leading to the M.D. degree
in institutions that are themselves accredited by regional associations.
Institutional accreditation assures that medical education takes
place in a sufficiently rich environment to foster broad academic
purposes
- LCME accreditation confers eligibility for participation in
federal student loan programs
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