University of the Virgin Islands News February 24, 2015 UVI’s School of Medicine is a Candidate for LCME Accreditation The University of the Virgin Islands has received the status of “candidate school” for accreditation of the School of Medicine by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME). At its February meeting, the LCME reviewed accreditation documents from UVI and voted to authorize a preliminary accreditation survey visit, which grants UVI candidacy status. “The decision by the LCME to grant the UVI School of Medicine a site visit is a major step in the direction of having an LCME accredited medical school in the Virgin Islands,” said UVI President David Hall. “It is evidence that the documents we submitted demonstrated that we have a viable plan for a medical school that meets their standards,” he added. President Hall said UVI’s effort toward accreditation will intensify. “We must now prepare extremely hard so that we demonstrate that we can deliver on everything contained in our plan,” Dr. Hall said. “I want to thank Dr. Sachs and the entire UVI team who worked so hard to allow us to achieve this important result.” Dr. Benjamin Sachs, interim dean of the School of Medicine, said UVI is closer to its vision of improving the health care of the people of the territory and Caribbean. “Our mission is to educate students from the diverse communities of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the wider Caribbean and the continental U.S. as physicians dedicated to the health and well-being of their communities,” Dr. Sachs said. “These physicians will be prepared through innovative pedagogy that will result in physicians who are life-long learners, solution finders, team players and leaders of the 21st century,” he continued. “If we are accredited, the school will open in 2016 and is designed to have a major economic impact in the territory.” Dates for the survey visit have not yet been scheduled; however the visit is expected to take place this summer. UVI plans to build a territory-wide School of Medicine that will be certified by the LCME, making it the only LCME-accredited English-speaking medical school in the Caribbean. The LCME is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the reliable authority for the accreditation of medical education programs leading to doctor of medicine degrees. For more information, contact UVI’s Director of Public Relations Nanyamka Farrelly at 340-693-1056 or pr@uvi.edu<mailto:pr@uvi.edu>. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.