Elk Grove-based California Northstate University College of Medicine was put on probation March 1 by an academic accreditation agency, according to a March 3 report by The Sacramento Bee.
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a national accrediting body, placed the university on probation, Doug Elmets, university spokesperson, told The Sacramento Bee, though he declined to disclose the reason. John Buarotti, spokesperson for the Association of American Medical Colleges, also declined to disclose the reason to the news publication.
In 2015, the university received preliminary accreditation and, in 2019, provisional accreditation — a step down from full accreditation. About a year ago, three students filed a class action lawsuit, accusing the school of fraud when it promised medical school admission to students who had enrolled in an undergraduate program, then denied their admission. In 2019, the state ordered the university to stop offering two programs designed to "fast track" students into medicine careers.
The probationary status won't affect the university operations or plans to build a $1 billion hospital and medical school in Sacramento, according to Mr. Elmets. The hospital will include 250 to 500 beds and is expected to take eight years to build, according to The Sacramento Bee.
"While this was not the outcome we were hoping for, it is not unusual for a new and developing medical school to be placed in this status category," Mr. Elmets said in a statement cited by The Sacramento Bee. "We want to emphasize that our valued medical students will not be impacted by this determination in any way and will be eligible to take all medical licensing exams, go on to residency programs and receive licensing in the state of their choosing. Moving forward, California Northstate University College of Medicine remains focused on providing an excellent education as we work closely to achieve full compliance with all LCME standards in the shortest time possible."
Becker's was unable to reach California Northstate University College of Medicine for comment.