From The Desk Of The Founding Dean
Just before closing on February 5th, we received the long awaited phone call from the Liaison Committee on Education (LCME), the national medical school accrediting agency, that the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine has been approved as a four-year medical school.
THIS IS EL PASO'S MEDICAL SCHOOL! Thank you to all of El Paso for your support - financial and otherwise - that has made the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine a reality. Most especially, thank you to Paul L. Foster who believed in our mission so much that he assured our success with his very generous donation.
Thank you to the LCME, the Texas Tech University System, and our Texas legislators. Thank you to our faculty, who has worked tirelessly to create a state-of-the-art educational program worthy of joining the ranks of the nation's accredited medical schools.
Now the real work begins.
We will immediately turn our efforts to recruiting students for the first class to be seated in August of 2009. In fact, a presentation is being made this week to the Texas Association of Advisors to the Health Professions (TAAHP) by Dr. Manuel Schydlower, Associate Dean of Admissions, our first official act in recruiting students to El Paso's medical school.
We will continue to focus on securing funding during the next legislative session - crucial to the overall success of opening the four-year medical school.
But as we roll up our sleeves for the next round, we go in knowing that we will continue to have your unwavering support. And we are grateful as we celebrate this momentous day for El Paso's medical school!
Thanks El Paso!
Jose Manuel de la Rosa, M.D.
Founding Dean