LCME Submission Requirements

Submitting documents to the LCME and to the CACMS
Instructions on submitting documents to the LCME and to the CACMS are outlined below by submission type. Unless otherwise noted, please submit all documents in the form of a PDF to the specified e-mail address and conform to the following general submission requirements:

• Do not submit hardcopies unless specifically requested to do so.
  
  
• All submissions must include a dated and signed cover letter that has been written on letterhead. Letters must be addressed to both LCME Secretaries and, for Canadian schools, to both LCME Secretaries and the CACMS Secretary, and must be submitted in the form of a PDF via email.
  
  
• All submissions must be sent to both lcmesubmissions@aamc.org and Marina.Ramos@ama-assn.org and, for Canadian Schools, to cacms@afmc.ca.
  
  
• Submissions that include multiple documents (e.g., cover letter, form, and appendix) must be combined into one file, in the appropriate order, and converted to PDF. If the submission exceeds 8MB, see instructions below.
  
  
• The LCME e-mail box can receive a maximum of 8MB per e-mail (including attachments). Electronic submissions larger than 8MB must be divided into smaller files and sent separately. File names must indicate the intended order and must include the name of the medical education program.

Status reports
Status reports must be submitted to lcmesubmissions@aamc.org and, for Canadian schools to cacms@afmc.ca in the form of a letter that has been converted to a PDF, and must conform to the general submission requirements outlined above. Please do not send a hard copy and please do not include a copy of the LCME's or, for Canadian Schools, the CACMS/LCME original letter requesting the status report.

Notifications of a significant change
The LCME (and CACMS, for Canadian Schools) must be notified in advance of any significant change to a medical education program or school of medicine. Institutional changes that the LCME and CACMS consider to be significant are provided below along with specific instructions for notifying the LCME and CACMS. Unless a specific form is provided, change notifications must be submitted electronically in the form of a letter using the general submission requirements outlined above.

Appointment of new dean: After a new dean is appointed, programs must submit a letter, in the form of a PDF, containing the dean's name and contact information to lcme@aamc.org and, for Canadian Schools, to cacms@afmc.ca. Note that prior notice of the appointment is not required

Changes in ownership or governance: Medical education programs must notify the LCME and, for Canadian Schools, CACMS in advance of any significant change in ownership or governance, by submitting a letter, in the form of a PDF, to lcme@aamc.org and, for Canadian schools, to cacms@afmc.ca. This includes a change in reporting requirements between the dean and the governance structure, the transfer of the program to another sponsoring institution, the merger of separate medical education programs, and/or the separation of the medical school from its current sponsoring institution.

Class size increase proposals: Medical education programs must notify the LCME and, for Canadian schools, CACMS in advance of any significant increase in class size, by submitting a completed Proposed Class Size Increase Notification Form, in the form of a PDF, to lcmesubmissions@aamc.org and, for Canadian Schools, to cacms@afmc.ca. Please consult the Proposed Class Size Increase Notification Form for detailed instructions.

New or expanded branch campus: Medical education programs must notify the LCME and, for Canadian schools, CACMS in advance of any plan to create or expand a branch campus, by submitting a completed Proposed New or Expanded Branch Campus Notification Form, in the form of a PDF, to lcmesubmissions@aamc.org and, for Canadian Schools, to cacms@afmc.ca. Please consult the Proposed New or Expanded Branch Campus Notification Form for detailed reporting instructions.

Consultations with LCME Secretariat staff
Requests for consultations must be sent to both LCME Secretaries and, for Canadian schools, to the CACMS Secretary via e-mail (with a copy to lcme@aamc.org and, for Canadian schools, to cacms@afmc.ca), and must note "Consultation Request" in the subject line. The LCME Secretariat, and for Canadian schools, CACMS Secretary, is available to consult with new, developing and existing medical education programs. The request must come from the dean of the medical school or, in the case of a new or developing medical education program, from the program's leadership. New or developing medical education programs are strongly encouraged to review the Guidelines for New and Developing Medical Schools and Functions and Structure of a Medical School before contacting the LCME Secretariat. Typically, the LCME Secretariat will consult with a new program's representatives by telephone prior to scheduling a face-to-face consultation.

Press inquiries
Press inquiries must be directed to both LCME Secretaries and, for Canadian schools, to cacms@afmc.ca via email.

General inquiries
Questions about the LCME accreditation process, the accreditation status of a particular medical education program, or the interpretation of accreditation standards must be submitted via e-mail to lcme@aamc.org and, for Canadian schools, to cacms@afmc.ca.

Complaints and third-party comments
Complaints or third-party comments about an undergraduate medical education program accredited by the LCME must be submitted to lcme@aamc.org and, for Canadian schools, to cacms@afmc.ca. A complaint or comment may come from any source and must be submitted electronically and in writing. Anonymous complaints will not be considered.

The LCME (and CACMS) will only consider a complaint about a medical education program that indicates noncompliance with one or more accreditation standards. It will not consider an individual grievance relating to admission, dismissal, or faculty appointment or advancement. A complaint about the LCME itself or, for Canadian schools, CACMS, its practices and standards, or the conduct of an accreditation survey must be sent to both LCME Secretaries and, for Canadian schools, to cacms@afmc.ca via e-mail as outlined above. Please consult the LCME Rules of Procedure for detailed information on submitting a complaint or comment, and about the LCME process for considering complaints and comments.

Medical Education Accreditation Database and Institutional Self-study Summary for full survey visits
The Medical Education Accreditation Database must be submitted in hard copy (using the colored binders provided) and electronically, in Microsoft Word, on USB drive or CD, to every member of the survey team and to both LCME Secretaries. Canadian programs must also send a complete set to the CACMS office in Ottawa.

Please consult the Guide to the Institutional Self-Study for more information. The Medical Education Accreditation Database is available on the LCME website by survey year. Refer to the instruction booklet for detailed compilation and submission instructions. For questions about completing the database or self-study, please contact a member of the Secretariat by phone or email.

Briefing books for limited surveys
Briefing books must be submitted in hard copy and electronically, in Microsoft Word, on USB drive or CD, to every member of the survey team and to both LCME Secretaries. Schools may use any type of binder as long as the pages are not permanently bound. Please do not send unbound pages.