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Preliminary Survey Visits

As outlined in Rules of Procedure, the purpose of preliminary accreditation is to determine if the medical education program has made sufficient progress toward compliance with relevant accreditation standards and toward satisfactory performance in accreditation elements for this stage in its development, and if it has developed satisfactory plans for its educational program. If minor issues related to performance in accreditation elements are noted, the LCME may grant preliminary accreditation but require written status reports addressing the issue(s). Once the LCME grants preliminary accreditation, the program may begin reviewing and accepting applications for enrollment. Preliminary accreditation becomes effective on the date the LCME grants preliminary accreditation. All preliminary survey visits are in person.

Programs preparing for a preliminary survey should refer to Guidelines for the Planning and Conduct of Accreditation Survey Visits. This document provides the steps before, during, and after the visit. If you have questions about any of the information, please email the Secretariat at lcme@aamc.org.

LCME Connecting with the Secretariat Webinars

January through October, the LCME Secretariat offers monthly Connecting with the Secretariat webinars that provide general information about accreditation and the self-study process and give participants an opportunity to discuss specific issues with members of the Secretariat. For details and registration information, visit the Connecting with the Secretariat webinar page.

Submitting the Survey Package to the LCME

The school will submit its final survey package 12 weeks* before the survey visit date. The survey package is sent via the Web Transfer Client (WTC) system. The school will receive an email from LCME Secretariat staff four weeks before the survey package is due with WTC account access and instructions for uploading files. The LCME Secretariat staff will ensure that each survey team member receives the school’s submitted survey package. Refer to Guidelines for the Planning and Conduct of Accreditation Survey Visits and if you have additional questions about survey package content and deadlines, or formatting and submission, please email lcmesubmissions@aamc.org.

*Starting with AY 2024-25 visits, the survey package will be due 14 weeks before the survey visit date.