The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine has announced that the school’s educational program leading to the doctor of medicine (M.D.) degree has received preliminary accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).
As the final step necessary for the school to recruit students and begin operation, preliminary accreditation means the school meets nationally accepted standards of educational quality.
The school’s first class of 42 aspiring physicians will begin their studies in the fall of 2010 and graduate with a M.D. degree in the spring of 2014. Prospective students can apply through the online American Medical College Application Service at (http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas).
Virginia Tech Carilion (VTC) is a partnership between Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic, located on the Carilion Clinic Campus in Roanoke. The new 150,000-square-foot education and research facility is currently under construction.
“Preliminary accreditation for VTC is a direct result of the vision by leadership at Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic to capitalize on core strengths at each of these institutions,” said Cynda Johnson, founding dean and president, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. “This is also a testament to the incredible amount of determination, collaboration, and creativity of the [VTC] team. I am very proud of the team and thrilled to begin recruiting our first class.”
The partnership between Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic allows VTC to offer a strong foundation in the basic and clinical sciences. The unique curriculum interweaves research and inter-professional disciplines throughout the four-year educational experience.
“This partnership makes good sense on a multitude of levels,” said Charles W. Steger, president of Virginia Tech. “Virginia Tech’s leadership in higher education, specifically in the sciences and research, coupled with Carilion’s strength in medical education and patient-centered care, is a very powerful combination. The result will be high-quality education and a new, innovative model to develop the type of physician that we need at the bedside. I couldn’t be more proud of everyone involved.”
Carilion CEO Ed Murphy said, “Preliminary accreditation of the new medical school is another step forward for Carilion Clinic’s education and research mission. The value of the school’s association with an institution of Virginia Tech’s caliber cannot be overstated. I congratulate the team on the tremendous effort that they have put forth to make this a reality.”
According to Virginia Tech Carilion leadership, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine’s overarching goal is to educate clinicians who continuously incorporate knowledge gained from research and scientific inquiry into the everyday practice of medicine.
More information can be found at www.vtc.vt.edu.
