LCME Accreditation

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredits all medical schools in the U.S. and Canada every eight years. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the reliable authority for the accreditation of medical education programs leading to the MD degree.

Accreditation signifies that the national standards for structure, function and performance are met by a medical school’s education program leading to the MD degree, as defined in the document “Functions and Structure of a Medical School.” Accreditation by the LCME establishes eligibility for selected federal grants and programs.

Full Accreditation for School of Medicine and Public Health

In 2018, following a more than two-years of self-study process, LCME notified the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the School of Medicine and Public Health that it would continue full accreditation of the medical education program for the maximum eight-year term.

Accreditation followed a rigorous process within the school that embraced ongoing continuous quality improvement, as well as an in-depth self-study of all functions of a medical school from admissions policies and practices to research resources and opportunities. The committee’s review of the school included a site visit and review of a data collection instrument, which is a comprehensive document detailing the school’s ability to meet the 12 accreditation standards set by the LCME.

Preparing for Re-Accreditation

The School of Medicine and Public Health is currently preparing for re-accreditation. An LCME site visit will take place during the academic year 2025-26. Since its last accreditation, the School of Medicine and Public Health has been continually engaged in self-evaluation and improvement to meet and exceed LCME requirements.

Key Dates

April 26, 2024: Kick off with LCME secretariat, 12:15-1:30pm in room 1345
Before June 1, 2024: Subcommittees launch work
November 2024: Launch Independent Student Analysis (ISA)
March 1, 2025: ISA report due
April 15, 2025: First draft Data Collection Instrument (DCI)
May 23, 2025: Final draft DCI due
Early October 2025: Mock visit
December 19, 2025: DCI finished and sent to LCME
April 13-15, 2026: Survey visit