College of Medicine probation lifted

SASKATOON – This morning the University of Saskatchewan received official word that probation has been rescinded for the College of Medicine undergraduate medical education program.

“This is wonderful news for the University of Saskatchewan,” said Dr. Preston Smith, dean of the College of Medicine. “This is a necessary and expected outcome that is the result of a lot of concentrated effort by many people over the last two years. We’ve been able to demonstrate to the accreditors that we’ve made significant progress.”

The good news was delivered today by letter from the school’s accreditors, the Committee on the Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and its American equivalent, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Along with the probation rescindment, the program’s accreditation status has been extended until March 2018, instead of 2017 as previously indicated. Thus, a full accreditation visit is now expected to take place in the fall of 2017.  

“This is a critical milestone in the growth and development in the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan,” said Gordon Barnhart, interim president of the U of S. “Over the last several years we’ve been working very hard to arrive at this point. The college continues to be a top priority and we are committed to working with our partners to build a college that will serve the ever-changing needs of Saskatchewan and that is one of the best research-intensive medical schools in Canada.”

The accreditation decision today is the result of a May 2015 site visit when accreditors evaluated progress on 13 specific standards previously cited as deficient. Ten of the 13 are now partially or completely compliant. However, Smith noted that there is still more work to do.

“We know we are on the right path and we need to keep pushing forward to realize the full vision for the college,” said Smith. “Our role is to contribute to the province by training the next generation of physicians to enhance and, through research, to innovate clinical care for the people of Saskatchewan. I’m confident that we are well on our way there. We couldn’t have made progress without the support of our partners in government and the health system.”

"Since 2007, the Government of Saskatchewan has provided almost $165 million to support the College of Medicine in their work toward addressing challenges related to accreditation. The Government has also provided $229.3 million to support the Health Sciences Building, including construction and renovations," said Scott Moe, Minister of Advanced Education. "We congratulate the University of Saskatchewan on their work so far and will continue to work with them to ensure the College of Medicine reaches its full potential as a leading medical school in Canada."  

The college will now turn its efforts towards preparing for the next full accreditation visit, which will take place in fall 2017.