Having transformed the curriculum and the educational space in which it is delivered, the University of Louisville School of Medicine was notified by phone yesterday by its accrediting entity that it is in compliance with all educational standards and probationary status has been lifted. UofL anticipates receiving the detailed written report in the coming weeks.

“During the past two years, we have worked diligently to address the concerns raised by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME),” said Toni Ganzel, MD, MBA, dean of the UofL School of Medicine. “We reformed our preclinical curriculum from a discipline-based model to an integrated model with more active learning and engaged pedagogies. We completed a major renovation of our instructional building, implemented new educational technologies and strengthened our educational governance and organizational structure.

“We continue our efforts to assure that we consistently meet or exceed expectations for compliance with LCME standards.”

UofL began implementing a redesigned curriculum in 2011, but significantly increased the speed during the past few years. Separate courses have been integrated to create a better fundamental understanding of the way the human body works in health and disease, and to link all of the courses throughout the four-year program. The faculty and students now are more focused on teamwork, communication, and application of knowledge using enhanced teaching technology and methods to take better care of patients.

The most visible change at the school is the $7.5 million renovation of the instructional building that redesigned the school’s instructional space that opened in 1970, including two large interactive lecture halls that will better meet the needs of current class size and enable UofL to potentially expand its class size to meet the growing physician shortage in Kentucky and beyond. There also are new small group learning labs and classrooms, a new student lounge and expanded student study areas. Additionally, the infrastructure was upgraded to better support innovative, cutting edge academic technologies.

October 16, 2015