Update Notice from Dean Johnson

During the spring and summer of 2017, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine has been focused on three major milestones in our accreditation process.

Our first milestone, to have our students conduct an Independent Student Analysis (ISA), was completed in March. The student group appointed for this task had a 100% participation rate among all four classes. This was the first time we obtained full participation, and I am delighted by how energized and engaged our students are in the betterment of our school.

The second milestone, to complete the LCME data collection instrument (DCI), was completed in June. The DCI consists of 12 overarching standards with 93 elements. The senior leadership team completed written responses to those elements, and I am pleased to share that all of these have been reviewed and discussed.

The third milestone, our institutional self-study, begins in July. Our institutional self-study will be carried out by six subcommittees of senior administrators, faculty, and students, headed by Dr. Dan Harrington, Dr. Rick Vari, and Dr. Mike Nolan. The self-study committees will use the data from the ISA, DCI, and key questions asked by LCME to analyze how well we meet the standards. The self-study summary report will provide us with an overall evaluation of the quality of our medical school program and a plan to address any challenges that have emerged from the self-study.

Although preparing for an accreditation visit can be a stressful time, the process itself is engaging, and I have always been impressed by the team work and passion that each of you brings to this effort. I will keep you informed as we continue on this journey together!

Cynda Johnson