School of Medicine Receives LCME Reaccreditation

BU President Robert Brown and School of Medicine Dean Karen Antman received notification from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) that the School of Medicine has been reaccredited for the next eight years.

The LCME is the only nationally recognized accrediting body for all medical education programs in the U.S. leading to the medical education degree. Accreditation signifies that national standards for structure, function, and performance are met by a medical school’s education program.

“The School of Medicine is a leader in education, research and clinical training,” said Antman. “The LCME accreditation confirms the quality and the standards that we have developed and continually refine and enhance. My colleagues at the School have my sincerest congratulations on this recognition.”

The School received high marks from the accreditation survey committee for the strong support provided by central administration for the teaching mission; the robust series of faculty development activities that are well attended by MED faculty; the mission-based allocation model that allows all components of the School’s mission to be strongly supported by department chairs and faculty; and the dedicated leadership at the School’s affiliated hospitals that strongly support its educational mission.

“Receiving this accreditation is an endorsement of the quality of the education we provide, our pedagogical process, and the outcomes—our graduates who are highly prepared both clinically and scientifically to contribute to health care at the bedside and in the laboratory,” said Antman.

Students and graduates of LCME-accredited medical schools are eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). These graduates are also eligible to enter residencies approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Graduating from an LCME-accredited U.S. school and passing the national licensing examinations are accepted as prerequisites for medical licensure in most states. LCME accreditation establishes eligibility for select federal grants and programs, including Title VII funding administered by the Public Health Service. The accrediting body comprises medical educators and administrators, practicing physicians, public members and medical students.

Hundreds of faculty, staff and students participated in the three-year self-analysis that preceded the site visit by an LCME evaluation team in February, providing the platform for the LCME team to comprehensively examine our institutional setting, governance, academic and student support programs, as well faculty development and evaluation and educational resources. About 120 participated in the actual visit.

“I was very impressed by the dedication and hard work of the BUSM community,” Antman said. “The outstanding effort of the hundreds of faculty, students and staff involved in conducting the self-study illuminated our strengths as an academic institution. We have extensive and purposeful student involvement especially in service learning; a deep sense of collegiality among faculty, students, and staff; responsive institutional structures; mission-based budgeting that reinforces our emphasis on quality teaching; diverse clinical opportunities for our students; and a cutting-edge research program fully open to our students that enriches their educational experience.”