LCME Accreditation

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), established in 1943, is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) as the official accrediting body for medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States and Canada. It is jointly sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA), hence the term “Liaison.”

The LCME is composed of 17 professional members, 2 public members, and 2 fourth-year medical students, and is managed by the LCME Secretariat, which operates out of offices in Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

The LCME accreditation survey visit is scheduled for April 20–22, 2026, in Chicago. A formal survey report will be provided following the visit.

Through a voluntary, peer-review process, the LCME ensures that all accredited institution and programs meet rigorous established standards for medical education and support quality assurance, continuous improvement, eligibility for licensure, federal funding and residency training.

The LCME Secretariat and the publications on the LCME website are the only official sources of information regarding policies, procedures, and issues related to the intent of elements. Please visit the official LCME website here. 

LCME glossary: https://lcme.org/glossary/

Please take a moment to review the LCME glossary to familiarize yourself with the relevant terminology and definitions.

The Faculty Accreditation Lead (FAL) is Raymond H. Curry, and key staff support is Alina Miller, assistant director of educational planning and accreditation

An LCME Executive Committee on reaccreditation is assembling the data collection instrument with input from a broad group of stakeholders. The executive committee consists of:

• Raymond Curry, MD, FACP –  Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
• Jessica Hanks, MD, FAAP, FACP – Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Peoria
• Heather Heiman, MD, FACP – Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education
• Amanda Osta, MD – Associate Dean for Medical Education, Chicago
• Maureen Richards, PhD  – Assistant Dean of Medical Education & Evaluation, Rockford
• Alina Miller, MSHI  – Assistant Director of Educational Planning and Accreditation

Accreditation, Monitoring and Quality Improvement Committee (AMQuIC) oversees continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts related to the medical education program at the College of Medicine. Chaired by the vice dean for education, the committee conducts systematic reviews of data to ensure compliance with LCME standards and supports institutional improvement across all educational domains beyond the curriculum. Continuous quality improvement efforts go on year-round during accreditation cycles and are led by AMQuIC.

AMQuIC Membership:

• Raymond Curry, MD, FACP –  Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education, AMQuIC chair
• Meenakshy Aiyer, MD, MACP – Regional Dean,  UI COM Peoria
• Claudia Boucher-Berry – Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Chicago
• Heather Heiman, MD,  FACP – Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
• Jessica Hanks, MD, FAAP, FACP – Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Peoria
• Kathleen Kashima, PhD – Senior Associate Dean of Students
• Pauline Maki, PhD – Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs
• Alina Miller, MSHI – Assistant Director of Educational Planning and Accreditation, staff
• Jay Noren, MD – Associate Dean for Leadership Development
• Amanda Osta, MD – Associate Dean for Medical Education, Chicago
• Vanessa Peoples, MBA – Assistant Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Planning
• Maureen Richards, PhD – Assistant Dean of Medical Education & Evaluation, Rockford
• Katherine Simeon, PhD – Director of Assessment and Evaluation
• Alex Stagnaro-Green, MD, MHPE, MHA – Regional Dean, UI COM Rockford
• Richard Tapping, PhD – Interim Assistant Dean for Curriculum, CCIA Chair
• Trevonne Thompson, MD, FACEP, FACMT – Associate Dean for Admission
• Todd Van Neck, MPP – Associate Dean for Administration
• Ryan Marmis, MD Candidate – Class of 2027, UI COM Peoria
• Nas Shayk, MD Candidate – Class of 2027, UI COM Chicago

The Self-Study Task Force, coordinated by the FAL prepares the the final self-study summary report. The task-force draws representatives  from across the medical school community, and collaborates toward writing the self study summary report –  a concise self-reflection on our institutional strengths, weaknesses and a reflection on ways to continue improving our performance.

Self Study Task Force Membership:

• Raymond Curry, MD, FACP–Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education (chair)​
• Alina Miller, MSHI–Assistant Director of Educational Planning and Accreditation
• Nicole Blumenstein, MD – Resident, Class of 2026, Department of Otolaryngology (Chicago); alumn
• Mark Brodie, PhD – Professor, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, UI COM Chicago*
• Amaan Chalisa, MD Candidate – Class of 2027, UI COM Rockford; ISA Task Force
• Michael Cruz, MD – Chief Operating Officer, OSF HealthCare, Peoria; alumn
• Robert Englander, MD, MPH – Adjunct Professor of Medical Education, UI COM Chicago
• Joseph Garry, MD, FAAFP, FACSM – Professor and Head, Department of Family & Community Medicine (Rockford) *
• Emily Hall, MD, MHPE – Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, UI COM Chicago
• Masahito Jimbo, MD, PhD, MPH, FAAFP – Professor and Department Head, Family and Community Medicine, UI COM Chicago; CFAS Representative
• Bhavana Kandikattu, MD, FAAP – Professor of Clinical Pediatrics UI COM Peoria*
• Carson Potts, MD Candidate – Class of 2026, UI COM Chicago; President of CMSC
• Manu Sood, MBBS, FRCPCH, MD, MSc – Professor, Head and William H. Albers Endowed Chair in Pediatrics, UI COM Peoria*
• Ritu Subramony, PhD – Director of Accreditation, UIC
• Monica Vela, MD – Director, Hispanic Center of Excellence, UI COM Chicago*
• Samantha Wahlers, MD Candidate – Class of 2026, UI COM Peoria
• Manajyoti Yadav, MD – Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine; Clerkship & Sub-Internship Co-Director, Internal Medicine, UI COM Peoria
• Fazlur Zahurullah, MD, MBA, FACS, FAAOA – Chair, Department of Surgery and Surgical Specialties; Clinical Professor of Surgery, UI COM Rockford

Note:  Medical students are identified by their class year as of April 2026​. 

*  Member, College of Medicine Executive Committee​

The ISA Committee administers the student-led survey for LCME accreditation which gathers student student feedback to shape institutional improvement strategies.  The ISA team achieved an excellent 89% overall response rate across all campuses and classes. The survey showed notable improvements  in many areas, but also identified key vulnerabilities that warrant targeted action. The ISA taskforce summarized the key findings and selected top 10 recommendations to address with the faculty.

ISA Student Team:

• M4s: Amy Song (Chicago) Jakara Hubbard (Chicago)
• Grads: Will Fox (Rockford), Ishita Bhattacharya (Peoria)
• M3s: Amaan Chalisa (Rockford), Navya Peddireddy (Peoria), Kahan Shah (Chicago)
• M1s: Ryan Marmis (Peoria), Keith MacGregor (Rockford), Alex Boskov (Chicago), Kelly Duong (Chicago)

•  The College of Medicine is required to submit a comprehensive package to the LCME, which consists of the following documents:
  • Data collection instrument (DCI)
  • Independent Student Analysis (ISA)
  • Institutional self-study summary report
  • AAMC Medical School Graduation Questionnaire (AAMC GQ) Individual School Report
• Survey Accreditation Visit – Site visit scheduled for April 20-22, 2026, Chicago
• LCME Survey Report (provided after the  visit)

To learn more visit Accreditation Process Overview  and the Rules of Procedure published on the lcme.org website.

Students play a key role in the LCME accreditation process by leading the Independent Student Analysis (ISA), contributing to the institutional self-study, and participating in the survey visit. The ISA is considered a critical component of the survey package reviewed by the LCME. Students are expected to participate during the survey visit, meet with the survey team and lead tours of the educational and student spaces.

• Independent Student Analysis Survey Takeaways
• Deans’ response to students

The LCME sets the standards for accrediting MD programs in the U.S. These standards ensure that medical schools provide high-quality education and prepare students for the next stage of their training and lifelong medical practice.

LCME accreditation is based on 12 core standards, each broken down into specific elements that define what must be evaluated. These standards cover everything from institutional structure and resources to curriculum design and student outcomes. Together, they ensure that medical education programs meet nationally accepted benchmarks for quality and professionalism. Each standard flows logically from the institutional level to the student level, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of the entire medical education experience.

To explore the standards and element in detail, please review the Functions and Structure of a Medical School document, available for download on the official LCME website.

Standard 1: Mission, Planning, Organization, and Integrity

A medical school has a written statement of mission and goals for the medical education program, conducts ongoing planning, and has written bylaws that describe an effective organizational structure and governance processes. In the conduct of all internal and external activities, the medical school demonstrates integrity through its consistent and documented adherence to fair, impartial, and effective processes, policies, and practices.

Standard 2: Leadership and Administration

A medical school has a sufficient number of faculty in leadership roles and of senior administrative staff with the skills, time, and administrative support necessary to achieve the goals of the medical education program and to ensure the functional integration of all programmatic components.

Standard 3: Academic and Learning Environments

A medical school ensures that its medical education program occurs in professional, respectful, and intellectually stimulating academic and clinical environments and promotes students’ attainment of competencies required of future physicians.

Standard 4: Faculty Preparation, Productivity, Participation, and Policies

The faculty members of a medical school are qualified through their education, training, experience, and continuing professional development and provide the leadership and support necessary to attain the institution’s educational, research, and service goals.

Standard 5: Educational Resources and Infrastructure

A medical school has sufficient personnel, financial resources, physical facilities, equipment, and clinical, instructional, informational, technological, and other resources readily available and accessible across all locations to meet its needs and to achieve its goals.

Standard 6: Competencies, Curricular Objectives, and Curricular Design

The faculty of a medical school define the competencies to be achieved by its medical students through medical education program objectives and is responsible for the detailed design and implementation of the components of a medical curriculum that enable its medical students to achieve those competencies and objectives. Medical education program objectives are statements of the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes that medical students are expected to exhibit as evidence of their achievement by completion of the program.

Standard 7: Curricular Content

The faculty of a medical school ensure that the medical curriculum provides content of sufficient breadth and depth to prepare medical students for entry into any residency program and for the subsequent contemporary practice of medicine.

Standard 8: Curricular Management, Evaluation, and Enhancement

The faculty of a medical school engage in curricular revision and program evaluation activities to ensure that medical education program quality is maintained and enhanced and that medical students achieve all medical education program objectives and participate in required clinical experiences and settings.

Standard 9: Teaching, Supervision, Assessment, and Student and Patient Safety

A medical school ensures that its medical education program includes a comprehensive, fair, and uniform system of formative and summative medical student assessment and protects medical students’ and patients’ safety by ensuring that all persons who teach, supervise, and/or assess medical students are adequately prepared for those responsibilities.

Standard 10: Medical Student Selection, Assignment, and Progress

A medical school establishes and publishes admission requirements for potential applicants to the medical education program and uses effective policies and procedures for medical student selection, enrollment, and assignment.

Standard 11: Medical Student Academic Support, Career Advising, and Educational Records

A medical school provides effective academic support and career advising to all medical students to assist them in achieving their career goals and the school’s medical education program objectives. All medical students have the same rights and receive comparable services.

Standard 12: Medical Student Health Services, Personal Counseling, and Financial Aid Services

A medical school provides effective student services to all medical students to assist them in achieving the program’s goals for its students. All medical students have the same rights and receive comparable services.