Accreditation Procedures
Pre-survey Preparation
Eighteen months before the actual visit by a survey team, the principal LCME Secretariat for a given year contacts medical schools to establish the dates for site visits in that year. The site visit for our program has been scheduled for April 29 to May 1, 2013.
Preparation of our medical education database has begun and this process of data and information collection will be followed by an institutional self-study. The database and a summary of the self-study are mailed to the LCME Secretariats and to each member of the site visit team three months before the site visit.
The Survey Team
The survey team conducts a site survey to verify and update information compiled in the school's medical education database, clarify any issues that are unclear, view the environment and facilities for learning first-hand, and meet with administrators, faculty members, and students. The team will meet with the dean to explain its purpose and gain input in a conference at the beginning of the site visit, and meet with the dean and campus chief executive to summarize its findings about the program's strengths and areas of noncompliance at the completion of the visit. The survey process, appointment of survey teams, survey report, and documents considered by the LCME in reaching accreditation decisions are explained in the LCME's Rules of Procedure.
Role of Medical Students
Students in a school preparing for accreditation survey are expected to organize their own self-study of the educational program, courses and curriculum, student support services, and the environment for learning. Students are expected to participate in the various committees charged with conducting the institutional self-study. Groups of students will be scheduled to meet with surveyors during the school's site visit.
You are encouraged to visit the LCME website for further information about the accreditation procedures.