Institutions with Developing Medical Education Programs that have Applied to the LCME for Preliminary Accreditation as of February 1, 2012

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A developing medical school in the United States or Canada must complete five steps to become fully accredited by the LCME, as described below. Each step has its own requirements, and a school may not recruit applicants or accept student applications before reaching Step 3. The following tables include a description of each pre-accreditation and accreditation category and a listing of medical schools currently within each category. A developing medical education program in Canada follows the same process with both the LCME and the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS).

Refer to the LCME's Guidelines for New and Developing Medical Schools for a description of the minimum requirements that must be met in order for the LCME and/or CACMS to consider granting provisional accreditation of a new program leading to the M.D. degree. Refer to the LCME's Rules of Procedure for more detailed information about Preliminary Accreditation, Provisional Accreditation, and Full Accreditation.

The LCME and CACMS hold confidential all information collected during the pre-accreditation and accreditation processes. For more information on developing medical schools, please contact the schools directly.

 

Step 1 - Schools with LCME "Applicant School" Status
NOTE: Applicant Schools are not accredited
and may not recruit or advertise for applicants or accept student applications.

State/Province	Name of medical school	Location
Arizona	University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix	Phoenix, Arizona
California	California Northstate University College of Medicine	Rancho Cordova, California
California	University of California, Riverside School of Medicine*	Riverside, California
Connecticut	Quinnipiac University School of Medicine	North Haven, Connecticut
Florida	Palm Beach Medical College	Palm Beach, Florida
Michigan	Western Michigan University School of Medicine	Kalamazoo, Michigan
Virginia	King School of Medicine and Health Science Center	Abingdon, Virginia

*The Department of Education requires all accreditors to provide a brief statement explaining the bases for the accrediting body's decision to deny accreditation or withdraw accreditation. A decision to deny preliminary accreditation to the University of California at Riverside School of Medicine was based primarily on the LCME's assessment that the school had not demonstrated sufficient financial resources to sustain a sound program of medical education. In addition, the LCME found inadequate strategic planning, insufficient key personnel, and weak policies and procedures related to student advancement and diversity. The LCME also found limited clinical education opportunities in psychiatry and pediatrics. The school declined to appeal this decision.

A medical school obtains "Applicant School" status when:

1. It has paid the $25,000 application fee to the LCME to begin the process of applying for preliminary accreditation; and
2. 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).

1. It submits a modified medical educational database and a self-study summary to the LCME; and
2. 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; and
3. 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 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.

1. It submits a modified medical educational database and a self-study summary to the LCME; and
2. 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; and
3. 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.

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Step 5- Schools with LCME "Full Accreditation " Status

Click here to see a directory of M.D. programs that are accredited by the LCME.

A medical school achieves "Full Accreditation" status, after it receives provisional accreditation, when:

1. It submits a modified medical educational database and a self-study summary to the LCME; and
2. 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; and
3. 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
4. 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.