The dean of medicine at the University of Alberta says it's "inappropriate" that a U.S. accreditation group has proposed putting the school's medical undergraduate program on probation.

The U.S.-based Liaison Committee on Medical Education sent a letter in October warning of its plans, citing concerns over the school's teaching style. The committee said the school should rely less on traditional lecture-based lessons and more on "active learning."

Dr. Tom Marrie, the dean of medicine at the university, said the assessment is "a blow" to the school's reputation.

"My main reaction, first of all, is that it was a bit unfair," he said. "And I guess my main argument is this has certainly got our attention and we're going to make the changes, but because the program is doing so well, it's really inappropriate to put it on probation."

Representatives of the U.S. organization and its Canadian counterpart regular review programs and jointly set standards for medical schools in the two countries.

The U of A medical school program received approval from the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools, but not the U.S. committee.

Marrie said the school's medical students have been ranked in second or third place on the national exams for the past four years.

He said prospective students can be reassured the U of A is still one of Canada's top medical training centres, despite concerns over the curriculum.

The university is appealing the proposed probation order and expects a ruling on the appeal in February.