{"id":53986,"date":"2012-01-27T09:13:27","date_gmt":"2012-01-27T14:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=53986"},"modified":"2012-01-31T08:17:58","modified_gmt":"2012-01-31T13:17:58","slug":"school-of-medicine-seizes-opportunities-for-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2012\/01\/school-of-medicine-seizes-opportunities-for-change\/","title":{"rendered":"School of Medicine Seizes Opportunities for Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

After nearly two years of reflection and intense progress, leaders with the UConn School of Medicine say they are ready for the upcoming visit by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the work of so many people, we\u2019ve undergone a focused and highly productive journey. We\u2019re prepared for the next steps,\u201d says Dr. Suzanne Rose, senior associate dean for education.<\/p>\n

A Candid Assessment<\/strong><\/p>\n

The LCME is the accrediting body for all North American medical schools and has established a set of standards for medical school accreditation. During regularly scheduled site visits, an LCME evaluation team assesses each school in terms of compliance with these standards and later issues its report.<\/p>\n

The LCME\u2019s 2010 report had high praise for the UConn School of Medicine in many respects, including the faculty\u2019s strong commitment to education, the quality of the student body, and graduates\u2019 excellent performance on national licensing exams. But the report also indicated 15 items (out of more than 100 standards) that needed corrective action. These were in the areas of curriculum oversight, student support services, institutional support and financial resources. \u201cThis gave us an opportunity for reflection and improvement of an already great school,\u201d Rose notes.<\/p>\n

Immediate Action<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Suzanne<\/a>
Dr. Suzanne Rose<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

School leadership, in cooperation with LCME representatives, immediately set to work developing an action plan for addressing each issue, and LCME formally approved the plan in February 2011. Many of the initial efforts were led by Dr. Marja Hurley, associate dean and director of the Office of Health Career Opportunity Programs, who served as interim senior associate dean for education until Rose\u2019s arrival in June of 2011.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom her first day on campus, Dr. Rose made our school\u2019s response to the LCME citations her primary focus, engaging the talents and energy of the entire Health Center community to achieve excellent results,\u201d says Dr. Bruce T. Liang, interim dean of the medical school. \u201cShe is a dynamic professional and exactly who we needed to see this initiative to its fruition.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of Rose\u2019s priorities was to make the LCME process transparent. All information was posted online, student and faculty \u201ctown hall meetings\u201d were organized, each class was asked to elect a representative to liaison with the faculty and administration about educational and curricular issues, and an open-door policy for students was fostered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important to share information freely in order to promote a spirit of community and rally everyone around our common goal of creating the best possible learning environment,\u201d Rose says.<\/p>\n

Rose also organized a faculty retreat and, in December, brought in faculty from other medical schools to conduct \u201cmock\u201d site visits. A second mock site visit will take place on Jan. 30 and 31. On February 17, Rose and her colleagues will hold an LCME Fair in the lobby of the academic building. It will feature educational displays about each standard the school is addressing, a quiz about what has been accomplished, and a raffle for those who answer the quiz questions correctly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a serious matter, but you have to have a little fun with it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Changes to Date<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some changes were implemented immediately; others, by their nature, took several months to complete. While the changes will serve to address issues cited by LCME, they will also make the school a stronger institution for years to come.<\/p>\n

On the academic side:<\/p>\n