COLUMBIA, Mo. ― The University of Missouri School of Medicine is noncompliant in several areas and must address them within two years to maintain its accreditation, according to a report by a national group that accredits medical degree programs.
Among the findings in a June report by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education is that the number of Missouri medical students who reported experiencing gender discrimination is twice as high as the national average. The report was obtained recently by the Columbia Missourian through a Sunshine Law request.
The committee also found the school noncompliant regarding diversity programs, student mistreatment, curricular management and affiliation agreements, according to the 497-page report. The school also needs monitoring in leadership, strategic planning, student observations, building renovations and assessments, according to the report.
The committee could put the school on probation if it doesn’t make progress toward the standards within a year and the school could lose accreditation if it doesn’t make progress within two years. Normally, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education operates on an eight-year accreditation cycle.
In a written statement, Medical School Dean Patrice Delafontaine said the school was aware of many of the issues before the report was created and he is proud of the school for receiving full accreditation.
“We take the LCME’s recommendations very seriously,” Delafontaine said. “To that end, we have assembled a task force comprised of medical students, faculty and staff that is dedicated to continuous quality improvement in general, as well as to making specific quality improvements cited in the survey.”
The committee met with administrators, faculty and students during a visit to the medical school in January.
