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Vital Signs

Geisel to host LCME visit

By Amos Esty

From March 17 to March 20, the Medical School will host a visit from surveyors representing the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the accrediting body for U.S. medical schools. The site visit is part of a multiyear process, in which the LCME examines how a medical school functions to ensure that it meets the 128 standards required for accredited medical programs. During their time on campus, the surveyors will talk to faculty, students, and staff about virtually every aspect of the Medical School. The evaluation includes a wide range of subjects, including governance, curriculum, opportunities for faculty development and scholarship, and facilities—such as libraries and information technology infrastructure.

A number of faculty, students, and staff have been closely involved in the project, but Rand Swenson, M.D., Ph.D., the faculty accreditation lead, says it's essential that everyone at the Medical School be aware of the visit. "Everyone in the institution is involved in one way or another," he says. "So it's important that everyone has some basic knowledge of what's going on." And, he adds, the surveyors may stop to talk with anyone on campus.

Preparations for the visit started more than two years ago and have included an extensive self-study period. Swenson says that the process has given faculty, students, and staff at the Medical School a chance to evaluate the institution's strengths and areas in need of improvement. "It has produced a number of insights that have prompted us to evaluate and modify some practices, which in the long run is going to be of benefit," he says.

As the date of the visit approaches, more information will be available on the Medical School's website.


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