College Granted Provisional Accreditation

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix was granted provisional accreditation today by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The approval is the next step in the process for full accreditation.

“I am very pleased that the LCME has approved provisional accreditation for the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix,” said UA President Ann Weaver Hart. “This is an important step toward full accreditation, and we were confident that the measures the College and University took to address the questions from the LCME were more than sufficient. I am extremely proud that the UA remains on track to be the only land-grant university with two fully accredited medical schools.”

The LCME met February 9-10 to review the status report submitted by the UA on Dec. 1. The decision to grant provisional accreditation puts the College on pace for full accreditation in 2017.

The LCME is the nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to MD degrees in the United States and Canada. It is sponsored by the American Association of Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association.

“The University of Arizona Health Sciences has created a model for leading health care throughout the state,” said Joe GN “Skip” Garcia, MD, UA senior vice president for health sciences. “The UA College of Medicine – Phoenix provides a great example of serving our community. Developing the first allopathic medical school in greater Phoenix and addressing Arizona’s physician shortage have been important goals. These goals are vital for the University, and we will continue to provide resources and work diligently to meet the LCME requirements.”

The UA College of Medicine – Phoenix opened a four-year medical school program in 2007. Since then, the College has graduated 205 physicians. Developing a national reputation, the College received more than 5,000 applications for its 80 slots in 2015. It is one of only two medical schools in the nation that requires every student to complete a four-year “Scholarly Project,” which prepares them for life-long learning, critical thinking and problem solving.

“I’m so appreciative of the students, faculty and staff of this College,” said Stuart D. Flynn, MD, dean of the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. “Collectively they have been committed to moving this College forward and are critical to our success.”

In 2012, the College became separately accredited by the LCME under preliminary accreditation. The next phase of accreditation is full accreditation. The UA will submit a self study and the LCME will make another site visit to the campus.

Article by Judy Bernas

Media Contact:

Marian Frank
Phone: 602-827-2022