The Liaison Committee on Medical Education lifted the Saint Louis University School of Medicine's probation status on Oct. 11 after more than a year, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Committee officials cited the medical school for deficiencies in 20 percent of the 93 measures it examined during an October 2016 accreditation review of the school, which takes place every eight years, the report states. The LCME notified university leadership of the status change in February 2017, and leadership discussed the outcome of the review with students, employees and alumni one month later.
The LCME states on its website that schools placed on probation are "not in substantial compliance with LCME accreditation standards. Such a determination may be based on the LCME's judgment that the areas of noncompliance have seriously compromised the quality of the medical education program, or that the program has failed to make satisfactory progress in achieving compliance after having been granted ample opportunity to do so."
The committee gave SLU 24 months to make the requisite changes.
Kevin Behrns, MD, dean of the medical school and vice president for medical affairs, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Oct. 10 that at the time of the LCME's review in 2016, the school was phasing in a new curriculum, which may have led to concerns about gaps between the medical school's objectives and the students' knowledge on certain subjects.
Dr. Behrns told the publication the school took "immediate, decisive action to turn a painful moment into an opportunity to improve and now is a stronger and better medical school."
To access the full report, click here.