Approval is the next step to full accreditation for the medical school
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix was granted provisional accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The approval is the next step in the process for full accreditation.
“I am very pleased that the LCME has approved provisional accreditation for the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix,” said UA President Ann Weaver Hart. “This is an important step toward full accreditation and we were confident that the measures the College and University took to address the questions from the LCME were more than sufficient. I am extremely proud that the UA remains on track to be the only land-grant university with two fully accredited medical schools.”
The LCME met February 9-10 to review the status report submitted by the UA on Dec. 1. The decision to grant provisional accreditation puts the College on pace for full accreditation in early 2018.
The LCME is the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to MD degrees in the United States and Canada. It is sponsored by the American Association of Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association.
“The University of Arizona Health Sciences has created a model for leading health care throughout the state,” said Joe GN “Skip” Garcia, MD, UA senior vice president for health sciences. “The UA College of Medicine – Phoenix provides a great example of serving our community. Developing the first allopathic medical school in greater Phoenix and addressing Arizona’s physician shortage have been important goals. These goals are vital for the University and we will continue to provide resources and work diligently to meet the LCME requirements.”
The UA College of Medicine – Phoenix opened a four-year medical school program in 2007. Since then, the College has graduated 205 physicians. Developing a national reputation, the College received more than 5,000 applications for its 80 slots in 2015. It is one of only two medical schools in the nation that requires every student to complete a four-year “Scholarly Project,” which prepares them for lifelong learning, critical thinking and problem solving.
“I’m so appreciative of the students, faculty and staff of this College,” said Stuart D. Flynn, MD, dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. “Collectively they have been committed to moving this College forward and are critical to our success.”
In 2012, the College became separately accredited by the LCME under preliminary accreditation. The next phase of accreditation is full accreditation. The UA will submit a self study and the LCME will make another site visit to the campus.
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The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix admitted its inaugural class of first-year medical students in August 2007 and currently has 320 students training to be physicians. The College inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond. The College of Medicine – Phoenix is uniquely positioned to accelerate the biomedical and economic engines in Phoenix and the State by leveraging vital relationships with key clinical and community partners. For more, visit phoenixmed.arizona.edu.
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: http://uahs.arizona.edu