The LCME accredits complete and independent medical education programs leading to the MD degree whose students are geographically located in the U.S. for the required portions of their education, and which are offered by universities or medical schools that are chartered and operated in the U.S.
Graduates of LCME-accredited programs are eligible for entry into residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and students/graduates of LCME-accredited programs are eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). This includes programs with any of the following accreditation statuses: full, preliminary, provisional, including on probation. Details on the stages of accreditation can be found on the Accreditation Process Overview page.
For medical schools that have multiple campuses, there is no separate accreditation of the individual campuses. All campuses come under the single accreditation of the “parent” medical school.
The LCME does not accredit medical education programs leading to the MD degree outside of the passport-granting area of the United States.
The LCME Secretariat and the publications on this website are the only official sources of information regarding LCME policies, procedures, and issues related to the intent of elements.