Harvard Medical School welcomed the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) to its campus on March 6-9, 2011, as part of an accreditation process that occurs every eight years. As part of the accreditation process, LCME asks institutions to engage in an eighteen month self-study prior to its scheduled site visit. The self-study includes extensive planning, data collection, self-evaluation and analysis, synthesis and report writing. A more detailed overview of the process may be found on this website under the Resources section.

The LCME accreditation process was an opportunity to engage the entire community in a broad review of the Medical School in an effort to assess progress and identify possibilities for continued growth and development. Well over 450 faculty, students and staff participated in this two-year undertaking. The self-study process once again affirmed the effectiveness of the Program in Medical Education and the excellence of those who make it so successful. The Medical School witnessed a coming together of a broad group of people dedicated to the mission of educating students and creating a rich academic environment in which all members of the community can thrive. New partnerships were created, and existing relationships were deepened. The HMS self-study process identified key institutional strengths and areas for improvement, and used the process as a catalyst for accelerating work that was already underway.

During the site visit, which ran from March 6-9, 2011, five members of an ad hoc survey team representing the LCME met with numerous faculty, staff and students to discuss all aspects of the educational curriculum, medical student life, faculty life and institutional resources and policies. The visit culminated in an exit interview with Provost Hyman and Dean Flier. The results were very positive. In particular, the survey team complemented the HMS curriculum, curriculum management, student support structures, admissions process, financial aid, student diversity programs, support for the faculty role in education and broad institutional commitment to education both at the school and at the affiliated hospitals.

The survey team returned to their home institutions to draft a report for the LCME of what they observed of the school's strengths and areas that may need improvement. Final notice of the Medical School's accreditation status will come from the LCME this October, 2011.