LCME Accreditation

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM) at Temple University is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). In 2017, LKSOM received a full eight-year accreditation from the LCME and is now preparing for its Spring 2025 re-accreditation site visit.  LKSOM has been accredited for over eight decades, having attained accreditation prior to the establishment of the LCME in 1942.

Students graduating from an LCME-accredited institution such as LKSOM are deemed to have fulfilled the requirements for a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. This certification enables them to secure a license to practice as residents, supervised by licensed physicians, across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Visit the LCME website for a full list of accredited programs.  For additional information regarding LKSOM’s LCME accreditation status, you may contact the LCME Secretariat at [click-for-email].

What is LCME Accreditation?

LCME accreditation involves a voluntary, peer-reviewed assessment aimed at ensuring the quality of medical education programs by evaluating their adherence to established standards. Throughout this process, programs must show that their graduates possess essential professional competencies necessary for advancing to further stages of training and for delivering competent medical care, forming the basis for continuous learning. Furthermore, LCME accreditation renders programs eligible for certain federal grants and initiatives. For additional details regarding the scope and significance of accreditation, please refer to the LCME website.

The LCME is a nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to medical degrees in the U.S. and Canada. It is jointly sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association.

Steps Toward Accreditation

There are six steps to the LCME accreditation process.  These include the following:

1. Collecting the data (completing the Data Collection Instrument).
2. Independent Student Analysis (ISA) coordinated by a steering committee of students from all four years in the curriculum. 
3. An institutional self-evaluation (self-study) based on the 12 accreditation standards.
4. An on-site evaluation/survey visit by a survey team of external peer experts.
5. A review of the survey team’s findings by the LCME Board (about 3 – 5 months after the survey visit).
6. Determination by the LCME Board as to the program’s accreditation status and any follow-up required.

Useful Resources and Documents

Association of American Medical Colleges

American Medical Association

Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)

LCME Document Directory

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the LCME?

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is the recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the medical degree in the U.S. and Canada. It is jointly sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association.

What is LCME Accreditation?

LCME accreditation involves a voluntary, peer-reviewed assessment aimed at ensuring the quality of medical education programs by evaluating their adherence to established standards. Throughout this process, programs must show that their graduates possess essential professional competencies necessary for advancing to further stages of training and for delivering competent medical care, forming the basis for continuous learning. Furthermore, LCME accreditation renders programs eligible for federal grants and initiatives. For additional details regarding the scope and significance of accreditation, please refer to the LCME website (https://lcme.org/about/).

Why go through LCME Accreditation?

Accreditation determines whether an educational program leading to an MD degree meets established standards for function, structure, and performance. It seeks to answer whether the:

• Program has clearly established mission, goals, and institutional learning objectives.
• Curriculum and resources are organized to meet the program’s mission, goals, and objectives.
• Evidence shows that the program is achieving its mission, goals, and objectives and is likely to continue to achieve them.

How does LCME Accreditation work?

There are six steps to the LCME accreditation process. These include the following:

1. Collecting the data (completing the Data Collection Instrument).
2. Independent Student Analysis (ISA) coordinated by a steering committee of students from all four years in the curriculum. 
3. An institutional self-evaluation (self-study) based on the 12 accreditation standards.
4. An on-site evaluation/survey visit by a survey team of external peer experts.
5. A review of the survey team’s findings by the LCME Board (about 3 – 5 months after the survey visit).
6. Determination by the LCME Board as to the program’s accreditation status and any follow-up required.

How is data collected?

The LCME has established 12 standards with multiple sub-standards (93 elements) indicating guidelines and expectations for medical schools. When assessing a program’s compliance with these standards, the LCME looks at the following data:

• Organizational structure;
• Learning environment;
• Mission and strategic planning;
• Admissions processes;
• By-laws and policies;
• Faculty and staff; and
• Curriculum.
• Resources (financial, staff/faculty and physical space)

What are the standards and elements?

The LCME has established 12 standards comprised of 93 elements. Elements of each  standard specify the components that collectively constitute the requirements of the standard.

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

What is LKSOM’s accreditation schedule?

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM) is actively preparing for its 2024-2025 re-accreditation by the LCME. Now through April 2025, some of the self-study activities that are taking place include:

• Weekly meetings of the LCME Executive Leadership group:  Dr. Amy Goldberg (Dean), Dr. Gerry Sterling (Faculty Accreditation Lead), Ken Lee (Project Manager), Tom Kupp (Senior Advisor to the Dean), and Kendra Kirk (Chief of Staff).
• Weekly Self Study Work Group  meetings: Admissions; Administration; Curriculum; Faculty; and Student Support.
• Weekly meetings of the Faculty Accreditation Lead with the chairs of the LCME Work Groups to review progress in compiling the DCI.
• Meeting of student leaders/teams overseeing data collection and  the Independent Student Analysis.
• Ongoing data collection, analysis, and identification of action plans to ensure alignment with accreditation requirements.

Leading up to the site visit we will also be holding Town Hall meetings and conducting a mock site visit to prepare for the survey visit in April 2025.

What is the DCI and how is it used?

Medical schools use the Data Collection Instrument (DCI) to collect the data and information to be used in the self-study and to submit to the LCME.   The DCI includes a broad series of prompts related to each standard and element. These prompts may require a narrative response, information in a data table, or  other documentation such as a written policy or procedure.

What is the ISA and how is it used?

The Independent Student Analysis (ISA) is a process that is organized by student leaders. It consists of the creation and dissemination of a student survey that solicits the students’ perspectives about the school, the educational program, and their experience as a student and the creation of the ISA report, which communicates survey results as well as an analysis and interpretation of the responses. The report is submitted to the LCME as a part of the self-study materials.

The ISA is conducted by a committee comprised of students from all years in the curriculum.  The committee is responsible for designing and conducting the survey, analyzing response data, and preparing the data tables and the subsequent ISA report. The student committee must fully own the ISA process. Medical school administrators may provide logistical support and technical advice, but must not participate in survey development, data analysis, or ISA report preparation.

What is the self-study process?

During the institutional self-study, data requested by the LCME and found in the DCI is collected, reviewed, and analyzed. The self-study process is directed by a task force comprised of key institutional leaders, faculty, staff, and students who possess knowledge of the medical educational program. The task force identifies institutional strengths and areas of concern so that strategies may be enacted to either maintain, enhance, or bring about change.

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Individuals with additional questions or concerns may contact the LKSOM Executive Leadership Group Task Force via email at [click-for-email].

More information about the LCME can be found via its website. Questions, complaints, and comments about LCME accreditation may be submitted to LCME@aamc.org. Please note that complaints and comments must include a completed consent form. Visit the LCME website to learn more.