The College of Medicine of SUNY Upstate Medical University was put on probation after failing to comply with 15 of 129 standards prescribed by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. The college was one of only four institutions to be put on probation.

For students in the college, the university and the Syracuse community, this probationary status is alarming. The status shows a lack of responsibility on the part of administrators, which is particularly troublesome at a medical school where students are trained to save lives. Course administration and curriculum are the main issues.

Administrators at the school must constantly be working to ensure the school is meeting or exceeding standards. The university’s administration should be familiar with the standards. The standards for accreditation by LCME are posted online in a 30-page document and easily accessible for administrators.

The College of Medicine should not need to be placed on probationary status to fix the issues the committee outlined. Administrators should know where issues lie and should work to fix them before being placed on probation.

The LCME granted the university two years to address the issues and must submit a plan detailing how to address the issues by Aug. 15. The university will continue to graduate students with an accreditation during this time period.

The university must make the changes in a timely and appropriate manner, as the reputation of the College of Medicine, the Upstate Medical University and the State University of New York system is at stake if the university loses its accreditation.

Moving forward after the probationary period is lifted, the university must be more vigilant in taking the time and effort to make sure the university is up to standards to continue being accredited.  

Published on February 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm

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