Medical School launches LCME 2020 with subcommittee kickoff
More than 160 faculty, staff and learners will prepare a self-study in advance of the LCME site visit
The site visit from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) isn’t until 2020; however, Medical School leadership has a clear vision of how best to prepare for the reaccreditation process for the school’s M.D. program.
U-M is seeking an eight-year reaccreditation from LCME, which evaluates medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the United States and Canada. Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process of quality assurance that determines whether an institution’s program meets established standards.
More than 125 subcommittee members attended a kick-off event Sept. 20 in the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building. Looking out over the attendees, which included faculty, staff and learners, leadership commented on the strength of the group.
“I am always reminded how dynamic our community is, and we have hand-selected 160 people to work on our committees,” said Senior Associate Dean for Education and Global Initiatives Joseph C. Kolars, M.D. “You have been hand-chosen because of your roles, but also because of your history as being critical thinkers.”
From October 2018 through April 2019, those subcommittees will meet to complete the data collection instrument, note areas of concern, and work to identify action plans. The school will put on a mock site visit in September 2019, with the official site visit slated for April 19-22, 2020. A decision on reaccreditation is expected in October 2020.
“It is an important time to pause and reflect on what we are doing well at this great school, and how we can thoughtfully engage and improve,” said Carol R. Bradford, M.D., executive vice dean for academic affairs in the Medical School and chief academic officer for Michigan Medicine. “We want to showcase our strengths and — more importantly — identify those opportunities where we can become even stronger and better.”
The school completed its most-recent self-study in 2012, earning accreditation for the maximum term through 2020.
“What did we learn from the last LCME? We don’t tackle this as a compliance exercise, but more of a challenge of how we can improve,” Kolars said. “Take this as an opportunity to make a great school even better.”
A self-study page on the Medical School website includes a LCME process timeline, and a list of committees and their leadership. Updates will be posted throughout the reaccreditation process.
“The emotion I feel right now is real optimism, a deep calm, and tremendous enthusiasm. This is an incredible community, and I am thrilled to be amongst you on this journey,” said Rajesh S. Mangrulkar, M.D., associate dean for medical student education and faculty accreditation lead for LCME 2020. “We are ready to go to work.”
After remarks in the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Auditorium, subcommittee members moved into the Gilbert S. Omenn Atrium to enjoy dinner and conduct their first meetings. Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Medical School Marschall S. Runge, M.D., Ph.D., addressed the attendees before each group reported on their progress.