October 2003: The medical school announces the State University System
Board of Governors’ approval of its first doctoral program, a Ph.D. in biomedical
sciences.
2004: A $2.3 million bequest from the estate of Leon and Billye Tully, matched
by the state of Florida, creates a $4.6 million endowed scholarship fund for
College of Medicine students. (Myra Hurt recalls: “Because our school was
not accredited by LCME, our students did not qualify for federal financial
aid, making this scholarship money even more valuable than usual. Thank you
so much for your gift!”)
May 2004: The 58 students of the fourth class, the Class of 2008, arrive.
August 2004: The medical school admits its first Ph.D. students in biomedical
sciences.
November 2004: The new building complex opens on FSU’s main campus.
Demolition of Florida High begins, to make way for construction of the auditorium
and the remaining portion of the research building.
November 2004: An LCME survey team makes another site visit.
February 2005: The LCME notifies the College of Medicine that it has been
granted full accreditation, making it the first new U.S. allopathic medical
school to be established and accredited in more than 20 years. The LCME
praises the “remarkable enthusiasm” of faculty, staff and students; the college’s
success at recruiting underrepresented minority and rural students; the use of
information technology; and the “outstanding facility,” including the “stateof-the-art”
Clinical Learning Center.
February 2005: The medical library is named for Maguire. She announces
she’s making an additional donation of $1,000,001 to benefit geriatrics education.
(The extra dollar increases the state’s match from 70 percent of the total
amount to 75 percent.)
March 2005: The college officially dedicates its 300,000-square-foot facility
to its mission: “educate and develop exemplary physicians who practice
patient-centered health care, discover and advance knowledge, and are responsive
to community needs, especially through service to elder, rural, minority,
and underserved populations.”
96 | Breaking the Mold