CMSRU receives full accreditation from LCME
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) has now achieved the highest level of accreditation available to a medical school in the United States by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), the nationally-recognized accrediting body for medical education programs leading to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in the U.S. and Canada.
In a phone call this afternoon from the LCME, CMSRU Dean Paul Katz, MD, learned that the medical school, which opened in 2012 and just graduated its Charter Class, had earned Full Accreditation for five years, the maximum for a new school.
"We are extremely pleased by the outcome of the LCME Full Accreditation review process," said Dr. Katz. "Their analysis of our extensive reports was comprehensive, the multi-day site visit in March was rigorous, and the quality of CMSRU's medical education program was clear. I'm grateful to the CMSRU team, including deans, faculty, staff and students, who continuously work to ensure that we are meeting - and in many cases exceeding -- the standards of quality set forth by the LCME."
News of CMSRU's Full Accreditation status concludes an academic year filled with historic events for the school, including its first and very successful Match Day in March and the graduation of its Charter Class in May.
"The fact that our Full Accreditation is for five years is remarkable and affirms that CMSRU is headed in the right direction toward developing quality physicians of tomorrow," added Dr. Katz.
LCME accreditation is a peer-review process of quality assurance to determine if a medical school program located in the United States or Canada meets established standards in medical education. New schools go through a rigorous five-step process, which began for CMSRU in 2009.
"The LCME accreditation process is a wonderful chance for medical schools to step back from day-to-day activities and take a holistic look at their curriculum, structure, and resources," said Annette C. Reboli, MD, Vice Dean of CMSRU. "This is an excellent quality assurance exercise that will serve us well as we embark on the next phase of the school."
This summer, CMSRU will welcome its fifth and largest class. More than 6,000 applications were received and 88 students were accepted, bringing enrollment at the school up to over 300 students. CMSRU will continue to gradually increase total enrollment to a maximum of 416 students.