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The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine has received notification from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) that it has been granted preliminary accreditation, a monumental milestone that will allow the school to begin recruiting its first class of medical students for 2023.

“Many individuals have worked for years with relentless determination to make this medical school a reality. We have celebrated milestones along the way, and this is another significant one, because it means we are now ready to open the doors to medical students in Tyler,” said Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. “By extension, it means opening doors to individuals who seek greater access to healthcare. It means enhancing our region as a destination point to live, train, work, and contribute to our economic vitality.”

“This achievement is the result of a transformative gift from the ETMC Foundation and both the visionary governance and the resources from the UT System Board of Regents.  Additional support from elected leadership, donors and the community were essential to the medical school moving forward. I thank our vice provost, dean and faculty for their expertise in guiding us through this complex process and bringing us one step closer to enrolling our first class in July 2023,” said Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, UT Tyler president.

In preparation to launch the medical school, UT Tyler announced Brigham C. Willis, MD, Med, FAAP as the founding dean. Willis, who last served as associate dean for medical education at the University of California, Riverside, will lead the recruitment efforts of new students and establishment of the curriculum and facilities for the school. “This notification allows us to launch the next phase of accepting student applications and conducting interviews,” Willis said. “I am very excited about the next phases in the process. We owe a great thanks to Dr. Sue Cox, our associate dean of continuous quality improvement and accreditation, for leading this accreditation effort.”

Following years of strategic planning that included funding, partnerships, and legislative and regents’ authorization, the UT Tyler School of Medicine met the established standards for structure, function and performance set by the LCME.

“I am grateful for the guidance and support of Chairman Eltife and the UT System Board of Regents and executive leaders, the Texas Legislature, faculty, staff and community members for joining forces to pave the way for our new school of medicine,” said Julie Philley, MD, executive vice president for health affairs and vice provost. “I am excited to not only participate in its launch, but to witness firsthand the way it will transform our community.”

The vision for the School of Medicine is to train committed, empathic, diverse and exceptional physician leaders to significantly reduce health disparities and enhance the quality of life in rural East Texas.  

Full accreditation for the School of Medicine is expected after the first class of students matriculates and the LCME determines that the school has demonstrated the effectiveness of the education program and continued compliance.

“From regents to elected officials, community leaders to philanthropists, and the UT Tyler leadership, everyone has shared in the equity in this effort, and I could not be happier for UT Tyler and East Texas,” added Eltife.

The University of Texas at Tyler announced the second $4 million gift to its School of Medicine. The anonymous gift will support the School of Medicine scholarships and faculty research.

“We are tremendously appreciative of this gift to our new School of Medicine,” said UT Tyler President Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP. “We continue to be amazed by the support of those who generously desire to help us address the healthcare needs of East Texas and beyond.”

This support comes as a warm welcome to the School of Medicine’s founding dean, Dr. Brigham Willis, who began his tenure in February.

“I am extremely pleased at the warm reception that my family and I have received since arriving in Tyler,” Willis said. “What is even more impressive is the overwhelming philanthropic support that we have received since the medical school was announced.”  The anonymous gift comes on the heels of the Fair Foundation’s $4 million contribution to support the first cohort of medical students.

When asked about the current philanthropic momentum, UT Tyler Senior Vice President for Advancement Dr. Archie Tucker noted, “Texans are beginning to realize the impact that the School of Medicine will have in the state, both from a health and economic perspective, and it’s exciting. Thus, we are seeing positive trends in our efforts to raise philanthropic dollars thanks to individuals like our anonymous donor.”

Others who are interested in making a gift to UT Tyler, or the School of Medicine specifically, may contact UT Tyler University Advancement at 903-566-7110 or visit uttyler.edu/give.

With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.