The Liaison Committee on Medical Education is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the reliable authority for the accreditation of medical education programs leading to the MD degree. Medical schools in both the United States and in Canada are accredited by this organization. The accreditation process is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process that determines whether the medical education program meets 12 standards consisting of 93 elements.
(Excerpted from the LCME website.)
The LCME full accreditation process occurs every eight years.
Many state boards require LCME accreditation as a condition for licensure of U.S. graduates. Students must attend an LCME accredited school to attend ACGME accredited residency programs and to take the USMLE licensing examinations.. For U.S. medical education programs, accreditation by the LCME establishes eligibility for selected federal grants and programs. In addition, we believe that the LCME preparation process is a wonderful opportunity for our school to conduct the required self-study, examining the many aspects of our medical school aimed a quality improvement.
Full accreditation reviews, culminating in a full survey visit, typically occur on an eight-year cycle and consist of the following steps:
1. Completion of the data collection instrument (DCI) and the independent student analysis (ISA), and compilation of supporting documents
2. Analysis of the DCI and other information sources, including the ISA, by an institutional self- study task force and development of the self-study summary report based on this analysis
3. Visit by an ad hoc survey team and preparation of the survey report for review by the LCME
4. Action on accreditation by the LCME
The following may occur:
• You may be asked to participate in LCME related committees, events and/or the actual site visit
• You may receive requests for data, documentation and/or reports to help complete the data instrument collection
• Your expertise may be sought for various purposes, including to address concerns that result from the self-study
We encourage you to read the monthly OE EdUpdate newsletter and refer to the website for all LCME related information, updates and events