LCME Frequently Asked Questions

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 M.D. degree. In the United States and Canada, these programs are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The accreditation process is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process of quality assurance that determines whether the medical education program meets 12 standards consisting of 93 elements.

Accreditation signifies that national standards for structure, function and performance are met by a medical school's education program leading to the M.D. degree.  LCME accreditation establishes eligibility for selected federal grants and programs, including Title VII funding administered by the Public Health Service.  Students and graduates of LCME-accredited medical schools are eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and have eligibility to enter residencies approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  Graduating from an LCME-accredited U.S. school and passing the national licensing examinations are accepted as prerequisites for medical licensure in most states.

Generally, LCME accreditation occurs every eight years. UC Davis received its last letter of accreditation in 2022. If the LCME has concerns about a school’s ability to meet accreditation requirements, they may offer a provisional accreditation and return prior to the eight-year cycle.

2029-2030 Academic Year.

The accreditation process occurs over 18 months and consists of an institutional self-study ending with a peer review/site visit.  These steps including the following:

1. Completion of the Data Collection Instrument (DCI) that contains the school's responses to meeting 12 standards and 93 elements.
2. Student body completes an Independent Student Analysis (ISA)
3. Institutional Self-Study Task Force, consisting of several sub-committees, receives the DCI and ISA to write Self-Study Reports and an Executive Summary Report
4. Three-day visit by a group of Faculty Members/Deans from other medical schools who review the school's submitted documents and interview faculty, students and residents.

We begin preparing approximately three years before the visit, with a more concentrated effort beginning two years prior.  

Schools are asked to meet 12 standards consisting of 93 elements.  These 12 standards span the entire mission of the medical schoool and cover the following topics:

1. Mission, Planning, Organization and Integrity
2. Leadership and Administration
3. Academic and Learning Environments
4. Faculty Preparation, Productivity, Preparation and Policies
5. Educational Resources and Infrastructure
6. Competencies, Curricular Objectives and Curricular Design
7. Curricular Content
8. Curricular Management, Evaluation and Enhancement
9. Teaching Supervision, Assessment and Student and Patient Safety
10. Medical Student Selection, Assignment and Progress
11. Medical Student Academic Support, Career Advising and Educational Records
12. Medical Student Health Services, Personal Counseling and Financial Aid Services

Medical students play an important role in the accreditation process. They are responsible for drafting and delivering the student survey and analyzing the data to prepare the Independent Student Analysis (ISA).