Liaison Committee on Medical Education

What Liaison Committee on Medical Education does

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is a U.S. non-profit accrediting body that evaluates medical education programs leading to the MD degree. Established in 1942 and jointly sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA), LCME operates through two Secretariat offices located at AAMC in Washington, D.C. and at AMA in Chicago, IL. It maintains a directory of more than 155 accredited U.S. MD programs, including Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, and Yale School of Medicine. LCME is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (renewed through 2028) and the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME, recognition through 2034) as the authoritative accreditor for MD programs.

LCME's core product is a peer-reviewed accreditation process governed by 12 published standards. Established programs undergo a full self-study and survey visit on an eight-year cycle, with full accreditation typically granted for a five-year term before the cycle restarts. The process encompasses full surveys, limited surveys, preliminary surveys for new programs, and provisional surveys, executed by trained peer survey teams and supported by documentation systems including the Data Collection Instrument (DCI), the Web Transfer Client (WTC) submission system, and the Functions and Structure of a Medical School publication. Supporting services include monthly Connecting with the Secretariat webinars, Survey Team Training programs, standardized notification forms for substantive changes, white papers, and paid Secretariat consultations.

LCME generates revenue through a mix of one-time and recurring fees: a $50,000 application fee for new programs seeking preliminary accreditation, $25,000–$50,000 reapplication fees, per-person survey visit expense recovery ($1,500–$3,300 based on visit duration and team size), $4,000 limited surveys, and $500–$750 Secretariat consultations. Governance rests with 21 voting members — 17 professional members, 2 public members, and 2 medical students — appointed through slates from AAMC and AMA, with the current Chair Charles J. Lockwood (2022–28) and Chair-Elect Donna Elliott. Financial results are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Liaison Committee on Medical Education

Legal name

Liaison Committee on Medical Education

Website

https://lcme.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education Accreditation

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Medical Schools (MD/DO Granting) (EDAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Medical school accreditation
• MD program accreditation
• Peer review surveys
• Accreditation standards
• Medical education quality

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Application Fees: New medical education programs seeking preliminary accreditation must pay the LCME an application fee of $50,000 if the program has never applied for accreditation by the LCME or has not been reviewed for preliminary accreditation by the LCME in the preceding three years. Reapplication fees are also charged for lapsed statuses.
2. Expense Recovery - Survey Visits: Expense recovery based on duration of survey visit and number of team members involved. Costs range from $1,500 (1 day/1 night) to $3,300 (3-4 days/4 nights) per person. Limited surveys are invoiced at $4,000 per visit.
3. Secretariat Consultations: Virtual consultations with LCME Secretariat are invoiced at $750 for 1 full day or 2 half-days, and $500 for 1 half-day.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The LCME accredits medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States through a peer-reviewed quality assurance process. Medical schools are evaluated against 12 accreditation standards during full survey visits every eight years, with limited, preliminary, and provisional surveys conducted for new and changing programs. The accreditation status confers eligibility for federal Title VII funding, USMLE examination eligibility, ACGME residency placement, and state medical licensure for graduates.

Product overview

The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is an accrediting body for medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States, jointly sponsored by the AAMC and AMA. Rather than a traditional product company, LCME offers accreditation services including survey visit programs (full, limited, preliminary, and provisional surveys), the Data Collection Instrument (DCI) documentation system, and the Functions and Structure of a Medical School publication containing accreditation standards. Supporting services include the Web Transfer Client (WTC) for submissions, monthly Connecting with the Secretariat webinars, Survey Team Training, and a public School Directory. The LCME also provides Rules of Procedure, white papers, notification forms, and Secretariat consultation services to guide medical schools through the accreditation process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LCME Accreditation Program A voluntary peer-reviewed quality assurance process that evaluates whether medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States meet established LCME accreditation standards.
• Survey Visit Services

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LCME is jointly sponsored by the AAMC and the AMA. The AAMC appoints an LCME Co-Secretary and Assistant Secretary and maintains an accreditation office in Washington, D.C. The AAMC manages data collection including the AAMC Medical School Graduation Questionnaire and provides secretariat support for accreditation activities.
• American Medical Association (AMA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LCME is jointly sponsored by the AMA and the AAMC. The AMA appoints an LCME Co-Secretary and Assistant Secretary and maintains an accreditation office in Chicago, IL. The AMA manages the LCME Part II Annual Medical School Questionnaire and provides secretariat support for accreditation activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC): One of the regional accreditors recognized by the US Department of Education for higher education institutions. While it accredits universities broadly (not medical schools specifically), HLC shares the same federal-recognition-driven accreditation framework and peer-review survey model.
• American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS): ABMS oversees physician board certification across specialties and complements LCME accreditation as the next stage of physician credentialing. Both organizations serve as gatekeepers tied to licensure, reimbursement, and hospital privileges, and they share a nonprofit, peer-credentialed governance model.
• American Osteopathic Association (AOA): Parent/sponsor organization of COCA and the broader osteopathic medical profession. AOA is comparable to LCME's joint AAMC/AMA sponsorship model and plays a parallel role for DO-degree accreditation and osteopathic medical education policy.
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC): Regional accreditor for degree-granting institutions in the southern US. Comparable as a federally recognized institutional accreditor using peer review and decennial reaffirmation cycles, though it covers broader higher education rather than medical schools specifically.
• National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME): NBME develops and administers the USMLE, which LCME-accredited graduates must pass for licensure. NBME is a closely related nonprofit standard-setter in physician training, with a peer-governed structure comparable to LCME's joint AAMC/AMA sponsorship model.

Others

• World Federation for Medical Education (WFME): WFME is the international body that recognizes national accreditors like LCME. Although not a direct competitor (it recognizes rather than accredits), WFME shapes LCME's international standing and the comparability of LCME accreditation to other countries' systems.

Direct peers

• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME): ACGME accredits US residency and fellowship programs and is the closest peer in mission and structure: a recognized accreditor of physician training programs backed by major medical associations, using peer-reviewed survey visits on multi-year cycles. Both organizations serve as gatekeepers to medical practice in the US.
• Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS): Canada's accreditor for MD programs, which assumed full responsibility for Canadian medical school accreditation on June 30, 2025, replacing LCME's prior cross-border role. CACMS mirrors LCME's standards-based, peer-reviewed accreditation approach.
• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME): ACCME accredits providers of continuing medical education (CME) in the US. It shares LCME's nonprofit, association-backed accreditation model and operates the same kind of peer-reviewed, standards-driven quality assurance function for the next stage of physician learning.
• Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA): COCA is the sole accreditor of osteopathic medical schools (DO degree) in the US, structurally analogous to LCME for the MD pathway. It operates under US Department of Education recognition and uses a comparable peer-review survey process.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Liaison Committee on Medical Education