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On September 15-17, 2025, the California University of Science and Medicine School of Medicine will undergo a survey visit for full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Below is detailed information regarding the LCME timeline, the self-study process, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding the accreditation process:

 

About LCME Accreditation

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) 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. In the U.S., these programs are accredited by the LCME. The accreditation process is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process of quality assurance that determines whether the medical education program meets 12 Standards consisting of 91 Elements.

Most state boards of licensure require that U.S. medical schools granting the MD degree be accredited by the LCME as a condition for licensure of their graduates. Eligibility of U.S. students in MD-granting schools to take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) requires LCME accreditation of their school. Graduates of LCME-accredited schools are eligible for residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). For U.S. medical education programs, accreditation by the LCME establishes eligibility for selected federal grants and programs, including Title VII funding administered by the U.S. Public Health Service.

 

2025 LCME Survey Visit TimeLine

May 2024
LCME Self-Study Committees Established
October 1, 2024
All School Kick-Off with LCME Secretariats
November 1, 2024
ISA Data due to FAL & Subcommittee
January 17, 2025
Self-Study Committee Complete Self-Study Report & ISA Report Due
March-April 2025
Subcommittees Review Final Recommendation
June 6, 2025
Submit Package to LCME
July-August, 2025
Mock Visit
September 15-17, 2025
LCME Survey Site Visit
February 10-12, 2026
LCME Decision

 

 

LCME Self-Study Committee and its Subcommittees

Chair: Paul Lyons, Dean and President

Aaron Jacobs, Associate Dean of Pre-Clerkship Curriculum

Anusuya Sen, Medical Student

Catherine Eisenbrey, Senior Executive Director of Accreditation and Continuous Quality Improvement

Charity Thomann, Director of Continuous Quality Improvement

Christian Heun, Project Manager, Continuous Quality Improvement

Christina Rangel, Senior Executive Director of Personal, Academic, and Career Excellence (PACE)

Clarissa Barra, Director of Medical Education

Daryoush Javidi, Director of Clinical Skills and Simulation

Davinder Sandhu, Professor of Medical Education

Debra Marquez, Executive Director of Office of Ombuds

Dillon Sommer, Medical Student

Eunice Padilla, Medical Student

Gordon Green, Senior Associate Dean of Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety

Hani Atamna, Associate Dean of Basic Research

Jonas Addae, Professor of Medical Education

Jun Ling, Professor of Medical Education

Linda Connelly, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

Lisa Schwartz, Chair of Department of Medical Education

Louise Borda, Senior Associate Dean of Educational Operations

Luis Marquez, Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration

Maegen Dupper, Associate Dean of Clinical Curriculum

Matthew Durkin, Director of Academic and Institutional Effectiveness

Mohsin Yakub, Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Rajuno Ettarh, Senior Associate Dean of Academic and Institutional Effectiveness

Sunny Nakae, Senior Associate Dean of Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Community Partnership

Tracey Scholtemeyer, Associate Dean of People and Culture

Tsugio Seki, Associate Dean of Accreditation and Continuous Quality Improvement

Vanessa Orozco, MBS Program Director

Yuu Ohno, Medical Student

Zohray Talib, Executive Vice Dean of Education

Chair: Tsugio Seki, Associate Dean of Accreditation and Continuous Quality Improvement

Aaron Jacobs, Associate Dean of Pre-Clerkship Curriculum

America Ortega, Clinical Partnership Manager

Clarissa Barra, Director of Medical Education

Daniel Duran, Clerkship Curriculum Manager

Deborah Farber, Health Sciences Librarian

Ezekiel Adu-Gyamfi, Director of Compliance and Risk

Linda Connelly, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

Louise Borda, Senior Associate Dean of Educational Operations

Luis Marquez, Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration

Madelyn Walker, Medical Student

Maegen Dupper, Associate Dean of Clinical Curriculum

Maya Maalouf, Medical Student

Nasser Salomon, Chief Information Officer

Omid Shayegh, Medical Student

Tracey Scholtemeyer, Associate Dean of People and Culture

Wafa Atamna, Laboratory Director

Chair: Maegen Dupper, Associate Dean of Clinical Curriculum

Co-Chair: Sunny Nakae, Senior Associate Dean of Equity, Inclusion, Diversity, and Community Partnership

Aaron Jacobs, Associate Dean of Pre-Clerkship Curriculum

Catherine K., Medical Student

Hani Atamna, Associate Dean of Basic Research

Joél Arvizo-Zavala, Assistant Dean of Social Mission and Accountability

Joseph Dhahbi, Director of Academic Research Study

Lydia Wilson, Medical Student

Mohsin Yakub, Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Nastassia Valenzuela, Director of Partnership Engagement Programs

Pete Eveland, Executive Vice Dean of University Relations and Admissions

Sonali Joshi, Medical Student

Chair: Linda Connelly, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

Co-Chair: Lisa Schwartz, Chair of Department of Medical Education

Alexandra Lopez Vera, Assistant Professor of Medical Education

Hani Atamna, Associate Dean of Basic Research

Johnathan Towsend, Director of Faculty Development

Joseph Dhabi, Chair, Rank and Promotion Committee

Louise Borda, Senior Associate Dean of Educational Operations

Medical Student #1

Stephanie Diaz, Faculty Affairs Analyst

Chair: Zohray Talib, Executive Vice Dean of Education

Co-Chair: Maegen Dupper, Associate Dean of Clinical Curriculum

Co-Chair: Aaron Jacobs, Associate Dean of Pre-Clerkship Curriculum

Clarissa Barra, Director of Medical Education

Daniel Duran, Clerkship Curriculum Manager

Elvin Hernandez, Executive Director of Education Innovation and Operations

Gordon Green, Senior Associate Dean of Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety

Hani Atamna, Associate Dean of Basic Research

Joél Arvizo-Zavala, Assistant Dean of Social Mission and Accountability

Keira Ferrari, Medical Student

Linda Connelly, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

Mohsin Yakub, Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Nikhil Chakravarty, Medical Student

Rajuno Ettarh, Senior Associate Dean of Advanced Anatomy and Surgical Simulation

Shawn Koh, Associate Professor of Medical Education

Chair: Mohsin Yakub, Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Chair: Christina Rangel, Senior Executive Director of Personal, Academic, and Career Excellence (PACE)

Aaron Jacobs, Associate Dean of Pre-Clerkship Curriculum

Anna Cosio, Executive Director of Financial Aid

Belinda Taylor-Batchelor, Executive Director of University Relations and Admissions

Brenda Nieves, Executive Director of Student Business Services

Daniel Duran, Clerkship Curriculum Manager

Deborah Wright, Director of Counseling and Wellness

Don Nguyen, Director of Records and Registration

Ebraheem Quadri, Medical Student

Gordon Green, Senior Associate Dean of Healthcare Simulation and Patient Safety

Linda Connelly, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

Luis Marques, Assistant Dean of Finance and Administration

Maegen Dupper, Associate Dean of Clinical Curriculum

Michelle Paw, Medical Student

Ryan Ghassemi, Medical Student

Sabrina Wilhelm, Executive Director of Preclinical Student Services

Vy Han, Assistant Professor of Medical Education

Wafa Atamna, Laboratory Director

The LCME charges medical student leadership to perform an independent review of the medical education program, student services, the learning environment, and the adequacy of educational resources. This review is initiated with a survey constructed by the student leadership and administered to all enrolled medical students using a recommended set of questions and analysis format from the LCME. The students will then use the data collected through this survey to develop a comprehensive summary of students’ perceptions of the CUSM MD program.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) 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. In the U.S., these programs are accredited by the LCME. The accreditation process is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process of quality assurance that determines whether the medical education program meets 12 Standards consisting of 91 Elements.

Most state boards of licensure require that U.S. medical schools granting the MD degree be accredited by the LCME as a condition for licensure of their graduates. Eligibility of U.S. students in MD-granting schools to take the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) requires LCME accreditation of their school. Graduates of LCME-accredited schools are eligible for residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). For U.S. medical education programs, accreditation by the LCME establishes eligibility for selected federal grants and programs, including Title VII funding administered by the U.S. Public Health Service.

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) typically conducts accreditation reviews on a regular basis. For U.S. medical schools, the LCME review cycle generally follows this pattern:

  1. Provisional Accreditation: When a new medical school is granted provisional accreditation, the LCME will conduct a full site visit within 2-4 years to review the school's progress and ensure it meets accreditation standards.
  2. Full Accreditation: For institutions that have been accredited for a longer period, LCME reviews generally occur every 8 years. During this time, there are interim visits and reports, but the comprehensive review is scheduled at this interval.
  3. Focused Visits: If a medical school has specific issues or concerns, the LCME may schedule additional focused visits between regular reviews.

For California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM), since their current status is Provisional, the full site visit is scheduled for September 15-17, 2025.

The accreditation process occurs over 18-24 months and consists of an institutional self-study ending with a peer review/site visit. These steps include the following:

  1. Completion of a Data Collection Instrument (DCI) that contains the school’s response to meeting 12 standards and 91 elements.
  2. The student body completes an Independent Student Analysis (ISA).
  3. Institutional Self-Study Task force consisting of several sub-committees receives the DCI and ISA to write self-study reports and a summary report.
  4. Three-day visit by a group of Faculty Members/Deans from other medical schools who review the school’s submitted documents and interview faculty, students, and residents

Schools are asked to meet 12 Standards consisting of 91 data Elements. These 12 Standards span the entire mission of the medical school and cover the following topics:

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

CUSM received provisional accreditation in February 2024.

The LCME Self Study Committee is comprised of Associate Deans, Department Chairs, staff, faculty and students who either have expertise in certain aspects of the accreditation Elements, or whose outside perspective can provide independent oversight and advice.

During the self-study process, faculty and staff may be asked to provide data for the Data Collection Instrument (DCI).

The site visit will take place on September 15-17, 2025, and all medical education staff are asked to be available if needed to support the LCME site visit.

The LCME process is a wonderful opportunity to learn about our school and commit to continuous improvement. We encourage you to read the monthly The Office of Accreditation and Continuous Quality Improvement Newsletter, so you understand how your role in medical education helps us maintain our accreditation.

Please understand that during this process, the school may discover areas that require process improvement which we will want to implement prior to September 2025. We appreciate your patience, flexibility, and commitment to helping us master all LCME standards.