The Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) today announced that it received full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the accrediting body for medical education programs that lead to an MD degree within the United States or Canada. The accreditation status covers a five-year term, the maximum length for a new school.
The LCME determines whether an institution’s medical education program meets established standards and fosters programmatic and institutional improvement. KPSOM has met the accreditation standards of the LCME and has demonstrated that its “graduates exhibit general professional competencies that are appropriate for entry to the next stage of training” and its programs “serve as the foundation for lifelong learning and proficient medical care.” Now, KPSOM joins the ranks of approximately 150 U.S. schools that meet these criteria.
“Receiving full accreditation from the LCME is a major milestone for our school and one that we all have been working towards since I got here seven years ago and even before,” said Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, KPSOM Founding Dean and CEO. “This achievement was made possible by the monumental efforts of our faculty, staff, students, and board, and by the remarkable support we receive from Kaiser Permanente. I also want to acknowledge that this wouldn’t have been possible if the City of Pasadena had not welcomed us into the community so enthusiastically.”
In late February 2024, five LCME site visitors ventured to the KPSOM campus to engage with school community members over three days to learn more about the school and its medical education programs, while posing comprehensive inquiries and sparking important conversations. Over 100 members of the school community diligently prepared and reviewed key materials, engaged in mock visits, and participated in site visit sessions and behind the scenes, all of which were critical in the school securing full LCME accreditation. Joe Gayk, MS, KPSOM Senior Director of Accreditation and Strategy, and Abbas Hyderi, MD, MPH, KPSOM Senior Associate Dean of Medical Education, served as LCME site visit lead and faculty accreditation lead, respectively.
KPSOM previously received both preliminary and provisional accreditation (October 2022) from the LCME and is eligible for select federal grants and programs, including Title VII funding administered by the U.S. Public Health Service. School administrators began preparation for the LCME accreditation process long before the school’s 2020 opening and submitted its first data collection instrument (DCI) as early as Summer 2018. Since then, the KPSOM accreditation team has been essential in completing the most recent DCI and self-study summary report and has assisted in the submission of accreditation materials and practice, mock, and official LCME site visits.
"I am pleased to learn that the KPSOM has earned full accreditation awarded by the LCME,” said Holly J. Humphrey, MD, KPSOM Board Chair. “This is an important milestone for a new medical school, and I am grateful to all who have worked tirelessly toward this goal for many years. The rigorous peer-review method of accreditation is built on a process of continuous quality improvement so that the educational program adapts as times change. We are looking forward to all that lies ahead for our students and their future patients."
