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Dear Colleagues,

I want to share with you some exciting news regarding the University of Missouri School of Medicine’s accreditation.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) conducted its accreditation survey in April and notified us on Nov. 1st that we have received full accreditation of our medical education program for another eight years. This is very exciting news! 

As of the latest data, only 30% of U.S. medical schools receive an eight-year accreditation from LCME. The eight-year period is only granted to schools that demonstrate full compliance with LCME standards and requirements. 

The majority of accredited medical schools typically receive a shorter term, such as a six-year accreditation, which allows for ongoing evaluation.

While we are very pleased with this outcome, there is still some work to be done. The survey revealed a few areas where there is a need for continuing improvement.

For example, students indicated that they would like to see additional study spaces. Another example is they would like quicker feedback on their performance after they finish a clinical rotation. Students would also like to have more elective opportunities and career advising.

Our team in the Medical Education office is already working to make sure we address these areas. I am sure the reopening of the J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library this month will be seen as an improvement by our students so that they have high-quality space to study.

This is a photo of the newly renovated J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, which opened Nov. 1 and features improved spaces for student study and collaboration.
This is a photo of the newly renovated J. Otto Lottes Health Sciences Library, which opened Nov. 1 and features improved spaces for student study and collaboration.


I want to personally thank everyone at the School of Medicine who worked tirelessly to prepare for our site survey in April, and I appreciate the students for sharing candid feedback about the strengths of our program and areas where improvements would enhance their learning experience.

We had more than 100 individuals who participated in in-person sessions, including faculty staff, residents and students. We conducted more than 80 prep sessions ahead of the site visit. We had a 91% response rate on our Independent Student Analysis, meaning 463 students took the time to provide valuable feedback on our medical school. Our written report, the Data Collection Instrument, was more than 1,100 pages long. Needless to say, it was a tremendous effort by everyone in our medical school!

The core team in Medical Education that helped lead our accreditation efforts. (First row, left to right: Laura Sobieck, Kristina Aldridge, me, Colleen Hayden. Second row: Kathleen Quinn, Kim Kimminau, John Hardwick, Joel Shenker. Third row: David Haustein, Scott Kinkade, Steffani Webb. Back row: Nate Beucke, Sulaiman Assadullah and Kevin Kane).
The core team in Medical Education that helped lead our accreditation efforts. (First row, left to right: Laura Sobieck, Kristina Aldridge, me, Colleen Hayden. Second row: Kathleen Quinn, Kim Kimminau, John Hardwick, Joel Shenker. Third row: David Haustein, Scott Kinkade, Steffani Webb. Back row: Nate Beucke, Sulaiman Assadullah and Kevin Kane).


Our next full survey visit will be during the 2031-2032 school year. I’m confident we will be an even stronger program the next time LCME arrives in Columbia. 

Congratulations!

Rick Barohn, MD
Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Hugh E. and Sarah D. Stephenson Dean, School of Medicine
rbarohn@health.missouri.edu