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Accreditation Process and Resources for
New and Developing Medical Education Programs

Introduction

Inquiry Stage

Five Steps Toward Becoming Fully Accredited

Resources for Developing Programs

Medical Education Database forms

Current List of New and Developing Schools

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

Introduction
 Interest in the establishment of new medical schools is showing signs of resurgence, in response to calls for additional physicians to meet demand in the decades ahead. LCME accreditation is an important step in the process of establishing a new school. The LCME is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to accredit complete and independent medical education programs in which students are geographically located in the United States or Canada for their education and that are operated by universities or medical schools that are chartered in the United States or Canada.


Inquiry Stage
Parties in the early stages of establishing a medical school are strongly encouraged to contact the LCME Secretaries to learn about the accreditation process. Inquiries made at this stage are not made public, and discussions are kept confidential. Secretariat staff are available to host conference calls, host representatives at either LCME office (in Washington, DC, or Chicago), or travel to on-site consultations. (On-site consultations are at the expense of the developing school.)


Five Steps Toward Becoming Fully Accredited

  1. Applicant Status. A medical school obtains "Applicant School" status when: (a) It has paid the $25,000 application fee to the LCME to begin the process of applying for preliminary accreditation; and (b) LCME and CACMS Secretariat staff have determined that the school meets the basic eligibility requirements to apply for accreditation (i.e., a current or anticipated charter in the U.S. or Canada and plans to offer the educational program in the U.S. or Canada). NOTE: Applicant Schools are not accredited and may not recruit or advertise for applicants or accept student applications. View a current listing of programs with Applicant Status.

  2. Candidate Status. A medical school obtains "Candidate School" status when: (a) It has paid the $25,000 application fee to the LCME to begin the process of applying for preliminary accreditation; (b) LCME and CACMS Secretariat staff have determined that the school meets the basic eligibility requirements to apply for accreditation (i.e., a current or anticipated charter in the U.S. or Canada and plans to offer the educational program in the U.S. or Canada); (c) The school has submitted the required medical education database and planning self-study documents, which have been favorably reviewed by the LCME (and, for Canadian schools, also by the CACMS); and (d) Approval has been granted by the LCME for a site visit for preliminary accreditation. NOTE: Candidate Schools are not accredited and may not recruit or advertise for applicants or accept student applications. View a current listing of programs with Candidate Status.

  3. Preliminary Accreditation. A medical school achieves "Preliminary Accreditation" status when: (a) It submits a modified medical educational database and a self-study summary to the LCME; (b) An LCME team completes a survey visit at the medical school and prepares a report of its findings for consideration by the LCME at its next regularly scheduled meeting; (c) The LCME reviews the survey team's report and determines that the program leading to the M.D. degree meets the standards outlined in the LCME document, Guidelines for New and Developing Medical Schools; and (d) The LCME votes to grant preliminary accreditation to the program for an entering class in an upcoming academic year. Once preliminary accreditation is granted, the program may begin to recruit applicants and accept applications for enrollment. If the program does not enroll a charter class within two years of its receipt of preliminary accreditation, it must reapply for preliminary accreditation as a new program and pay a reapplication fee. View a current listing of programs with Preliminary Accreditation.

  4. Provisional Accreditation. A medical school achieves "Provisional Accreditation" status, after it receives preliminary accreditation and enrolls a charter class, when: (a) It submits a modified medical educational database and a self-study summary to the LCME; (b) An LCME team completes a limited survey visit prior to the midpoint of the second year of the curriculum to review progress toward implementation of the educational program leading to the M.D. degree and the status of planning for later stages of the program, and prepares a report of its findings for consideration by the LCME at its next regularly scheduled meeting; (c) The LCME reviews the survey team's report and determines that the program leading to the M.D. degree meets the standards outlined in the LCME document, Guidelines for New and Developing Medical Schools; and (4) The LCME votes to grant provisional accreditation to the program. Once provisional accreditation has been granted, students enrolled in the program can continue their medical studies in the third and fourth years of medical education, and the program can continue to enroll new students. View a current listing of programs with Provisional Accreditation.

  5. Full Accreditation. A medical school achieves "Full Accreditation" status, after it receives provisional accreditation, when: (a) It submits a modified medical educational database and a self-study summary to the LCME; (b) An LCME team completes a full accreditation survey visit that takes place late in the third year or early in the fourth year of the curriculum, and prepares a report of its findings for consideration by the LCME at its next regularly scheduled meeting; (c) The LCME reviews the survey team's report and determines that the program leading to the M.D. degree fully complies with all LCME accreditation standards; and (d) The LCME votes to grant full accreditation to the program for the balance of an eight-year term that began when the program was granted preliminary accreditation status. View a current listing of programs with Full Accreditation.


Resources for Developing Programs

  • Contacting the LCME Secretariat staff for guidance. The LCME maintains accreditation offices at both of its sponsoring associations: the American Medical Association (AMA) and at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and each appoints an LCME Secretary. The Secretariat staff encourages representatives from new and developing schools to contact either office to learn about the accreditation process for starting a new medical school.

  • Guidelines for New and Developing Medical Schools describes the minimum requirements that must be met in order for the LCME to consider granting preliminary accreditation of a new program leading to the M.D. degree.

  • LCME Accreditation Standards. The LCME document, Functions and Structure of a Medical School, contains LCME standards for accreditation of medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the U.S. and Canada. Explanatory annotations are provided to clarify the meaning of standards, when necessary.


Medical Education Database Forms and guidebooks

Medical Education Database for Preliminary Accreditation. Following consultation(s) with the LCME Secretariat and payment of the application fee, a developing school will be directed to complete and submit a Database for Preliminary Accreditation.

Medical Education Database for Provisional Accreditation. Schools with Preliminary Accreditation will be directed to complete and submit a Database for Provisional Accreditation, prior to the midpoint of the second year of the curriculum.

Current List of New and Developing Schools
View an up-to-date listing of the new schools in each stage of the accreditation process.

Frequently-asked Questions

Q. How do we get started?
A. Contact either LCME Secretary, Dr. Dan Hunt (at the AAMC), or Dr. Barbara Barzansky (at the AMA).

Q. What is the LCME's scope of accreditation?
A. The LCME is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to accredit complete and independent medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in which students are geographically located in the United States or Canada for their education and that are operated by universities or medical schools that are chartered in the United States or Canada.

Q. Is accreditation required? Why is accreditation important?
A. Accreditation of medical education programs ensures compliance with national standards of educational quality. The cyclical process of institutional self-study and assessment, coupled with external validation by a team of professional peers, provides a mechanism for ongoing quality improvement. That quality assurance focus is closely linked to eligibility for residency training and licensure requirements for medical practice.


Send questions and comments to lcme@aamc.org.

 

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Revised 8 June 2011
© 2010 LCME