The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences was placed on a two-year probation in October for what a press release said were problems with “curriculum management, lounge and study space for students and internal administrative processes.” However, according to a new report from The Washington Post, the problems with the medical school were much worse. A rotting cadaver in an anatomy lab, staggering student debt and a plethora of other concerns prompted the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to make GWU’s SMHS the only medical school currently on academic probation of 129 in the country, according to The GW Hatchet.

A 2006 graduate filed an 18-page complaint with the school’s accrediting body after hearing of the school’s probation for allegedly violating at least 26 accreditation standards, according to the Hatchet. His complaints included the use of a rotting cadaver in an anatomy class. The student is also considering taking legal action against the school after he contracted a bacterial infection from working with the improperly preserved cadaver that prevented him from attending class for two weeks, he told the Hatchet.

The LCME cited the school’s failure to make enough of a connection between what students are taught in the classroom and how they interact with patients in the hospital, and the huge amount of student debt, as factors in the school’s probation in a seven-page report obtained by the Post.

According to Assistant Vice President for Media, Marketing and Communications at GWU, Deborah Hudson, the LCME has approved GWU’s Corrective Action Plan, with which it hopes to reverse its probationary status.

“The school was commended for its comprehensive plan that reflects the diligent efforts of faculty and staff to address the areas of concern,” she said.

Hudson said that a follow-up investigation by the LCME, which is conducted two years after a school is placed on probation, should be scheduled soon.

According to Hudson, GWU medical student application numbers have not been affected as a result of the probation.

“We have not seen any effect on the number of applications to the school [in terms] of admission,” she said. “The actual number of applications for enrollment in the medical education program has increased over last year.”

CORRECTION: February 27, 5:05 p.m.

THE HOYA originally reported that, “A rotting cadaver in an anatomy lab, staggering student debt and a plethora of other concerns prompted the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to make GWU’s SMHS the only medical school currently on academic probation of 129 in the country, according to The GW Hatchet.” This sentence was misleading. It is not yet clear whether or not the “rotting cadaver” was a factor in the LCME’s decision to put GW’s Medical School on probation. Additionally, The Washington Post reported that student debt was a factor in the school’s probation, not the GW Hatchet.

THE HOYA also reported that “A 2006 graduate filed an 18-page complaint with the school’s accrediting body after hearing of the school’s probation for allegedly violating at least 26 accreditation standards, according to the Hatchet.” This sentence is also misleading in that the graduate student reported 26 violations, it is not yet clear how many violations the LCME considered in putting GW’s Medical school on probation.

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