April 2001: Joseph E. Scherger, associate dean for primary care at the
University of California-Irvine, is named dean of the Florida State University
College of Medicine.
April 2001: The final PIMS class is transferred to the University of Florida
College of Medicine.
May 2001: The 30 students in the Florida State College of Medicine’s inaugural
Class of 2005 arrive. The medical school is spread across campus in
Duxbury Hall (administrative offices and student community room),
Montgomery Gym (anatomy lab), several science buildings (classrooms) and
trailers (administrative offices). Students will spend their first two years taking
basic science courses on the main campus, then be assigned to a regional campus
for third- and fourth-year clinical training.
May 2001: The first five Bridge Program students also arrive. They’re students
from medically underrepresented, rural and inner-city populations who
did not gain direct admission to the medical school. Those who complete the
three-semester Bridge Program with a B or better in all courses and otherwise
fulfill program requirements are admitted to the College of Medicine.
May 2001: Harry Jonas, former co-secretary of the LCME, recommends submitting
the required database to the LCME in August for consideration at
an October meeting so a site visit can take place in December and provisional
accreditation might be accorded in spring. The database is submitted
on schedule.
July 2001: Scherger arrives at FSU to assume responsibilities as first dean of
the college. He names a leadership team that includes J. Ocie Harris, associate
dean for medical education; Hurt, associate dean for student affairs; and
Robert Brooks, associate dean for health affairs.
December 2001: The first LCME survey team visits.
February 2002: The LCME denies initial provisional accreditation, citing
concerns about curriculum, resources, faculty size, ability to handle so many
students and other matters. (Myra Hurt recalls: “The irony is that, one year
earlier, the PIMS curriculum was accredited after a site visit to the University
of Florida College of Medicine – with the same faculty and same curriculum.
One of the LCME site visitors told me: ‘Well, UF is a real medical school.’ I
got the message.”)
94 | Breaking the Mold