March 2002: D’Alemberte files Florida State’s formal notice of appeal with
the LCME.
April 2002: The LCME hears Florida State’s appeal and upholds its decision
to deny initial provisional accreditation. Shortly afterward, D’Alemberte
meets with the Florida State Board of Trustees, now led by Thrasher. They
invite antitrust officials from the state Attorney General’s Office, and they
invite the AMA and AAMC to listen in. The attorney general’s officials say
they plan to issue subpoenas for an antitrust investigation. Within days, the
LCME offers a new opportunity for accreditation: If the college can submit
an updated database by June, the LCME can send a survey team for a site visit
in August.
April 2002: The medical school moves its headquarters into Florida High, the
former K-12 school across from the College of Education.
May 2002: The 40 students of the second class, the Class of 2006, arrive.
August 2002: A second LCME survey team visits.
Fall 2002: College officials load up the first- and second-year students and
take bus trips to visit Pensacola and Orlando, since many students knew nothing
about the cities where they might be spending their third and fourth years.
October 2002: The LCME grants initial provisional accreditation.
January 2003: Harris is named dean. Alma Littles is named associate dean for
academic affairs.
February 2003: Ground is broken for the College of Medicine complex.
May 2003: The 46 students of the third class, the Class of 2007, arrive.
July 2003: The medical school’s first three regional campuses open in Orlando,
Pensacola and Tallahassee for third- and fourth-year clinical education. Plans
at that time are to open future campuses in Jacksonville, Sarasota and Fort
Myers.
July 2003: The College of Medicine establishes the Department of Geriatrics,
becoming the first medical school in the state with a separate department
devoted to geriatrics training for medical students.
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