University of Calgary medical school gets new accreditation in difficult process

The medical school at the University of Calgary has become one of the first to be accredited using new Canadian standards which came into effect last year.

Dr. Jon Meddings, dean of medicine, says renewed accreditation is something that would normally be taken for granted.

• University of Calgary renames medical school after donor
• University of Calgary paid $20K in ransomware attack

But he notes that in the last 10 years, four of Canada's 17 medical schools have failed to meet recognized standards.

He says a school has to do major remedial work to regain the designation once it is lost.

Meddings says failing to achieve accreditation is not only a black eye for a medical school, but can also make it tougher to attract students.

He says the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools evaluates a school on 95 different elements, including curriculum and student evaluation.

• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |People keep shooting the$200K Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump sign
• MORE ALBERTA NEWS |Skimming machine found at Husky station in southeast Calgary