Hofstra University School of Medicine

By Jessica Freedman, MD,  MedEdits

Hofstra University School School of Medicine in Hempstead, New York, recently received the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation and will begin accepting applications for the inaugural class on July 1st, 2010. The first class of 40 students will matriculate in the fall of 2011. Students can apply through AMCAS.

Visit the Hofstra University School of Medicine website.

New Medical Schools

An article published in the New York Times yesterday is a must read for medical school applicants, current medical students and international medical graduates. The article discusses the planned opening of new medical schools and the impact this will have on medical school admissions and health care in this country. While reading this article, keep in mind that it takes years to open a new medical school. Refer to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education website to check the application status of new schools. With the planned opening of many new schools and increased enrollments at existing schools, there is a need for more residency training positions. If this does not happen, the competition to obtain residency training will increase.

Read: Expecting a Surge in U.S. Medical Schools in the New York Times.

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The Commonwealth Medical College: Preliminary Accreditation

The Liaison Committee on Education (LCME) has granted preliminary accreditation to The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC) in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The school is actively recruiting students and plans to have an entering class in 2009. The school will be accepting applications through AMCAS within 2 weeks.

Click Here to visit TCMC.

The President and Dean of TCMC, Dr. Bob D'Alessandri also has a wonderful blog.

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The Integrity of Medical School Admissions Decisions

Stephen L. Kanter, MD published an editorial in Academic Medicine this month about medical school admissions.

"Getting accepted to medical school must be about what the applicant knows, not who the applicant knows. And it must be about the applicant's potential to master a set of complex skills, to cultivate a professional habit of mind, and to develop into a creative and independent thinker-not the applicant's dependence on the influence of prominent individuals."

The Liaison Committee on Education publishes suggestions to ensure the integrity of the admissions process and Dr. Kanter proposes three ways to improve the way admissions committees make decisions.

"..while well-crafted accreditation standards and time-tested guidance from the GSA Committee on Admissions are key strategies for making sound admission decisions and minimizing inappropriate influence, they are not enough. Assuring the integrity of the process also requires leadership from the dean, who is the role-model-in-chief for all faculty, students, and staff of a medical school."

Click Here to read the article.

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New Medical Schools

The University of California (UC) hasn't opened a medical school in 40 years and plans to open two new medical schools to help train more physicians for underserved areas. UC Merced plans to open by 2013 and UC Riverside plans to open by 2012. The existing UC medical schools are also planning on increasing their class sizes to further address the growing doctor shortage. Click Here to read the full article.

Other new medical schools that are in the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation pipeline:

Applicant School Status:

Scripps University, La Jolla, California
Oakland University Beaumont Medical School, Rochester, Michigan
Touro University College of Medicine, Hackensack/Westwood, New Jersey
Hofstra University School of Medicine, Hempstead, New York
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, Virginia

Candidate School Status:

The Commonwealth Medical College, Scranton, Pennsylvania

Click Here to access the LCME website for more information.

Visit: www.MedEdits.com. We offer comprehensive medical school, residency and fellowship admissions consulting