McGill Medical School Probation.

          Sir William Osler, one of the  alumni and world famous faculty member of  McGill Medical School, would be turning over in his grave.     Osler, received his medical degree at McGill in 1872 and went on  to change the face of modern medicine.   Osler returned to the McGill University Faculty of Medicine as a professor in 1874 after a period of post graduate study in Europe.  Here he created the first formal journal club. In 1884, he was appointed Chair of Clinical Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and in 1885, was one of the seven founding members of the Association of American Physicians, a society dedicated to "the advancement of scientific and practical medicine."  He went on to become one of the four founders of Johns Hopkins Hospital and became one of its first professors.and then went on to be professor of Medicine in Edinborough and ultimately became Chair of Medicine at  Oxford, where he remained until  he died.  He did as much as any man to bring medicine into the modern  age and is credited with establishing internships and residency training programs.   He re-introduced bedside teaching to  modern medicine.  Osler's "The Principles and Practice of Medicine" (1892) was used worldwide.  It is still  worth reading.
          McGill  Medical School, one of the senior and most prestigious medical schools in North America, indeed in the world, just received a probationary approval.   This had never happened before but there is no doubt that the accrediting body must have felt there were very serious deficiencies before taking such  a step.  The accreditation  decision placed the medical school on probation and has scheduled  a follow up visit in two years time to determine that the recommendations are carried out.
           Now, I was more than a little surprised at this, but having had considerable experience of accreditation bodies, I want to study the accreditation report.  It may or may not be justified.  I'll get back to you in a week or so and tell you if Sir William should be spinning in his grave  because the report is appropriate or because it's not!