Congrats to FSU for a superior effort, also to LCME for their considerations. Some quotes and links are provided for your review of the process in order from announcements to rejection to acceptance and an upcoming conference
"Focusing on [primary care, rural and underserved areas, and care for the aging] is a huge challenge, one that probably in academic medicine is most difficult to address," said David Stevens, MD, co-secretary of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The LCME accredits the nation's 125 medical schools.
Changing the culture "We have a great opportunity to change the culture and the way students are educated in Florida," Dr. Hurt said. "We will be able to focus on the education of our students as our top priority because we won't have the traditional stresses of running a teaching hospital." more at http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/amnews/pick_00/prsc1016.htm
FSU just on the schedule http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/upload/mm/15/lcme_report.pdf
Accreditation and Demands of Rural Practice
I have changed this web page because I did not want to distract from the plans of the faculty and leadership at Florida State who are attempting a difficult and necessary project. I have full confidence that they will be able to do their jobs.
Although I am certainly an advocate for medical education for the underserved, it is also necessary to ensure accuracy in research and reporting of information. I do believe that I was accurate in the information provided. My tone and comparisons were provocative and could result in the inhibition of the very kind of efforts that we all support.
In this case the real work goes on locally. There should be no distractions from this work. Hopefully FSU and LCME will be able to work this out quickly so that they can get on with the work.
The community driven or community responsive medical education strategy that I am so passionate about must involve the cooperation of a number of groups, institutions, and individuals. Accreditation is a key part of this. Over time it is my hope that rural medical educators will continue to work with LCME, ACGME, and the various specialty boards and medical organizations so that they have a better understanding of the needs, assets, and environment of rural practice and rural medical education. We have much more to gain together than we could possibly accomplish in conflict.
Robert C. Bowman, M.D. 5/10/2002
Objectives for Rural Programs and Curricula