FIU Medical School Granted Full Accreditation

WEST MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) - With it's inaugural class of 33 students set to graduate this spring, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University has been given full accreditation.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education bestowed the honor Thursday, something President Mark Rosenberg called "one of the most significant moments in the history of FIU," according to CBS4 News partner The Miami Herald.

The accreditation was the final hurdle in a five-step process since the school hired surgeon John Rock to lead the school as dean in 2006.

"Accreditation allows our students to realize their dreams of becoming licensed medical doctors," Rock told the paper. "I'm proud of our faculty, our students, our clinical partners and what we have built together – a medical school that educates clinically and culturally competent 21st century physicians."

The school is in the process of admitting its fifth class to the school, with 120 spots available to the more than 3,900 students who applied.

An accreditation from the LCME is required for all students graduation from that institution in order to be eligible to pass state licensing in the United States.

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