E-Newsletter Update

Message From the Dean, Deborah German, M.D.

Here is an important update I want to share with you.

Key Site Visit From National Accreditation Board Completed

The UCF College of Medicine completed a key step toward obtaining accreditation. From December 2-4, the College hosted a team that will report to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the national body responsible for accrediting medical schools. I am very pleased with the visit and feel we have taken another important and successful step toward accreditation and building a premiere medical school. The performance of the College of Medicine team and all who participated in the visit exceeded my expectations, which were very high. The site team that visited the university will complete a written report and forward it to the LCME, which is expected to review the report and determine whether UCF’s medical college receives preliminary accreditation. A decision is expected in mid to late February, 2008. With preliminary accreditation, UCF can begin recruiting students from around the country to apply to the College of Medicine’s inaugural class and will begin instruction leading to the M.D. degree in fall 2009. The accreditation is preliminary because the LCME only grants full accreditation prior to the first class graduating from the program. Opening a new medical school is a complex, detailed and time-consuming process. The path toward accreditation began when UCF filed a preliminary application with the LCME in April 2007. The site visit this week was the next big step. During the visit the team reviewed the College’s entire plan for the medical school including its curriculum, policies, facilities, student services, faculty, administration and staff. The LCME has specific requirements for everything from the curriculum and finance to agreements between the school and local hospitals where students will receive practical experience. I am particularly thankful for the enormous support from the university, the Central Florida community and the talented College of Medicine staff. With the combined efforts of these groups we put together an outstanding program in less than a year. It wasn’t very long ago that this medical school was just a dream. This is one more important step to make that dream a reality.

UCF College of Medicine University of Central Florida 12201 Research Parkway Suite 318 Orlando, Florida 32826