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Dalhousie loses accreditation appeal, medical school on two years’ probation

International committee reviewed school on 132 standards, was deemed “not-compliant”‘ on 17.

Dalhousie University says it has lost an appeal that places its undergraduate medical education program on two years’ probation.

The Halifax medical school had appealed a preliminary finding by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education, an international accrediting body based in the United States. The school said Wednesday that the appeal was heard last Thursday in Chicago.

Despite its probationary status, which begins Thursday, Dalhousie said its undergraduate medical program remains accredited and it does not affect the ability of students to qualify as doctors or obtain residency training.

Dalhousie has said the board reviewed the school on 132 standards earlier this year, and it was deemed “not-compliant”‘ on 17.

The school says most of the issues identified by the committee following a routine review related to curriculum management, monitoring and evaluation.

The school’s dean, Tom Marrie, said the university has started to improve the areas where problems were found. “We’re continuing our remediation efforts,” he said in a news release. “We expect this task to be accomplished quickly.”

There are 17 accredited faculties of medicine across Canada.

Marrie said the probationary period has no impact on Dalhousie University’s plans for an accredited medical program that is slated to start next September in New Brunswick. “To achieve our goal of having North America’s best undergraduate medical education program, we have begun the task of renewing our present curriculum,” he said.

“Good progress is being made and I expect us to be in a position in September 2010 to implement, here and in New Brunswick, the first year of this innovative new curriculum. We expect we’ll exceed current LCME standards.”

– The Canadian Press

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