Sleepless in London! Anesthesia Department Problems.

One of the worst nightmares of any university department head is to have his department lose its accreditation. After all, the whole justification for the existence of clinical departments is to teach the expertise of which the members are supposed to be the ultimate arbiters and teachers. The humiliation of having a group of carefully selected experts decide that your department doesn't cut the mustard is extreme and the prospect of the department members (and everyone else) working through and addressing the identified shortcomings is painful. I know, I was there once. Although it is rare for provisional accreditation to lead to total withdrawal of accreditation it can do and the re-assessment in two years time had better show that most if not all of the recommendations addressed have been carried out. Otherwise you may be out of business!
So I was more than a little surprised to read in my local newspaper that the accreditation team found that the anesthesia program at the esteemed (they told me so themselves) College of Medicine of the university of Western University not worthy of full registration.
There are numerous reasons why a department may fall short of meeting some of the requirements, many of them not related to the standard of medicine practiced though that of course is a prime concern.
The prestige of the teaching program as well as the performance of its students in national qualifying examinations is another. The excellence of the program as perceived by the participants is crucial. No resident wants to be in a program struggling to maintain its accreditation.
The contribution that the department makes to new scientific knowledge is reflected in numerous ways. Clinical research resulting in publications in prestigious medical and scientific journals, particularly those with an international reputation is the most desirable, but there are other acceptable if less envied ways of enhancing the departments stature. For instance the development of new teaching or evaluation methods, or advancement of practice techniques may make significant contributions and be recognized as such.
Administrative issues can play a major role in determining the success of a department. A well run department optimizes recruitment of quality faculty and residents which further enhances the department and makes it desirable to subsequent excellent candidates.
It will probably be a few weeks before the accreditation report is published. It will make an interesting read to an old has-been department head!