The UF College of Medicine's dean may have violated national accreditation standards by overruling the college's selections committee and admitting a student from a politically connected family.
Dr. Bruce Kone, who took over as dean in May, said Thursday that he accepted the student about a month ago after disagreeing with the committee's conclusion.
Kone said the student was "overwhelmingly" qualified for his college.
He said he couldn't identify the student because of privacy laws. The Gainesville Sun reported Friday that the student is Benjamin Mendelsohn.
Mendelsohn did not return phone or e-mail messages left over the weekend. Kone didn't return phone or e-mail messages Friday, and his secretary referred all questions to UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes.
"We maintain and Dr. Kone maintained that this student is exceptional," Sikes said. "And (Kone) certainly stands behind his decision."
In February 2007, Gov. Charlie Crist wrote a letter to the college's admissions office recommending Mendelsohn for the Junior Honors Medical Program, a seven-year combined bachelor's and M.D. degree program. A copy of the letter was sent to UF President Bernie Machen.
"I have known Benjamin and his family for several years and know that Benjamin's affiliation with the University of Florida will mutually enhance the reputation of both Benjamin and the Medical program," Crist wrote.
Sikes said Mendelsohn was not accepted to that program, and Crist's letter was not included in his admissions file for the college's class of 2012. Sikes said a College of Medicine dean also admitted a student without the selections committee's endorsement in 2002.
In 2006, Mendelsohn's father, Alan, contributed about $15,000 to Republican candidates, including $500 to Crist, according to records from the Florida Department of State Division of Elections. Benjamin Mendelsohn contributed $500 to Crist in the 2006 general election as well. His father also held a May 2005 fundraiser for Crist at his home, which raised more than $100,000 for Crist's campaign.
Sikes said Mendelsohn's link to Crist is not an issue because many of UF's "high caliber" students have political ties.
Kone said Thursday that it is "preposterous" to think his decision was politically motivated. He added that as dean of the college, he has authority over all its operations, including admissions decisions.
An explanation of admissions on the college's Web site states, "With the approval of the Dean, the Chair of the Selection Committee makes the final determination of each applicant's status."
Sikes said the dean gives power to the admissions chair, but the dean has ultimate authority. She said the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the national medical school accreditation agency known as LCME, is aware of the admissions policy.
Barbara Barzansky, LCME secretary, said Kone's action might violate the group's admissions standards, which state, "The final responsibility for selecting students to be admitted for medical study must reside with a duly constituted faculty committee." Another LCME standard states that selection of medical students "must not be influenced by any political or financial factors."
