George Washington University Medical School - LCME Accreditation Probation

LCME Accreditation Probation

In 2008 the LCME or Liaison Committee on Medical Education put the George Washington University Medical School on accreditation probation, citing a number of issues. While declining to publish the entire list, among the problems acknowledged by GW were its outdated system of managing its curriculum, the curriculum itself, high levels of student debt, student mistreatment, and inadequate study and lounge space for its students. Significantly, in 2008 GWU was the only medical school (among 129 LCME accredited institutions) to be placed on probation and the first such in 15 years.

A Washington Post article uncovered other, much more serious, problems. These included conflicts of interest potentially subordinating the medical school as a teaching institution to the economic interests of Universal Health Services, the for-profit corporation that owns and operates GW's teaching hospital. One potential example is deficient-implementation of new ACGME medical resident work hours rules, which cost a typical teaching hospital $3.2 million annually.

The Post article quotes US Senator Charles Grassley (R - Iowa), who has made a significant effort to address conflicts of interest in academic medicine and health care: 'It's surprising that this relationship went on for many years, Officials at nonprofit agencies are responsible for ensuring that their assets are used for the public good, while company leaders must maximize profit, he said. 'It would be very hard for one person to wear both hats and fairly serve both interests.'

GW implemented a plan to rectify these problems. Its probationary status was lifted in February 2010. Subsequently, the two top GWU medical school administrators were forced to resign over the alleged conflicts of interest.

However, as of twenty months later, the search for a new dean of medicine was stalled. Further, according to a commentator, the teaching-hospital-related problems that led to probation and the original dean's firing were not resolved. In January, 2013, the university appointed the acting Dean of Medicine, Dr Jeffry Akman, as permanent dean. According to an article in The Hatchet, " Provost Steven Lerman declined to say if a committee in the medical school considered any other candidates during the accelerated search."

With respect to putative LCME allegations of trainee abuse, the District of Columbia Department of Human Rights subsequently ruled that a medical student was unfairly expelled in direct retaliation for lodging an internal complaint about a GW faculty member. This civil case is still pending, as is another case claiming illegal billing of medicare for work done by residents and nurse anesthesists.