ACGME re-evaluates School of Medicine probation status

The School of Medicine made changes to residency and fellowship programs.

By Zachary Murdock

Published Oct. 30, 2009

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education visited the School of Medicine on Tuesday regarding the probationary status for administration in the school's residency and fellowship programs.

In February 2008, ACGME placed the school's programs on probation. School of Medicine spokesman Rich Gleba said multiple citations caused the probation.

"Concerns cited by the ACGME following its previous site visit involve the proper referencing of policy language in manuals, resident representation at meetings on campus, processes for reviewing and disseminating internal reports and the level of resources and oversight associated with institutional administration of the residents' daily work," Gleba said.

The administrative component of the resident education program was placed on probation due to those citations, but Gleba said they are not associated with the actual accreditation of the individual residency and fellowship programs in the School of Medicine. Students can still complete the program and receive credit.

"MU has an internationally-admired education program for medical students, which recently received the maximum level of re-accreditation possible from the Association of American Medical Colleges," Gleba said. "Furthermore, every component of MU's resident education program remains fully accredited."

According to ACGME's Web site, a residency program is a period of education and training in a chosen specialty that physicians undergo after they graduate from medical school.

"Most residency programs last from three to seven years, during which residents care for patients under the supervision of physician faculty and participate in educational and research activities," ACGME's Web site stated.

Gleba said since ACGME's last campus visit, the School of Medicine has been working to fix the issues cited in the organization's report in an effort to receive a favorable accreditation status.

The school has undertaken small administrative changes, including reassigning tasks to nurses, social workers, pharmacists and other staff members so resident physicians can focus on other duties with higher educational value.

In an effort to solve the school's administrative oversight issues, School of Medicine Dean Robert Churchill and the UM system Health Care CEO James Ross have assumed personal oversight of the institutional resident education program office, Gleba said. The school has also increased the number of student seats on the Graduate Medical Education Committee from two to six.

"In addition, a new University of Missouri Health System was created in September 2008 in part to improve oversight and operation of the medical school, hospitals and clinics, and clinical departments involved in resident education," Gleba said.

Gleba said 39 percent of the School of Medicine's graduating class has been accepted into the school's residency training program. The school has 400 resident physicians in training.

After Tuesday's visit, Gleba said the School of Medicine hopes the probation is soon lifted and the school receives a favorable accreditation status from ACGME, though he's unsure when that could happen.