Medical school leaders briefed the Health Services Committee on accreditation standards and how each School of Medicine structures governance and quality improvement to meet the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) expectations.

“LCME accredits all MD-granting medical schools in the United States,” Dr. Michelle Daniel, vice dean for medical education at UC San Diego, said. She summarized LCME’s 12 standards and 93 elements and emphasized that “authority over curriculum content, pedagogy, and evaluation must rest within a school of medicine committee, not external bodies.”

Why it matters: LCME accreditation determines whether an MD program can grant degrees. The LCME requires that final authority over admissions, curriculum, grading and student advancement remain with the school of medicine and its faculty-led committees; campus or system bodies may advise but may not supersede medical‑school governance.

What the schools described
- Governance model: Deans and faculty executive committees (FEC) at UC medical schools hold ultimate responsibility for curriculum design and approval. Each school delegates to a medical education committee (MEC) and subcommittees (preclerkship, clerkship chairs, quality improvement) that run continuous review cycles and the “state of the curriculum” process.
- Data-driven review: Schools collect course evaluations, assessment data and outcomes for iterative improvement. Dean Steven Dubinette (David Geffen School of Medicine) said MECs conduct in-depth, data‑driven reviews across preclinical and clinical phases.
- Faculty and student engagement: Meetings of FEC and MEC are open to faculty and incorporate student feedback; UC Riverside highlighted a longitudinal “health equity / social justice” thread that all students experience.
- Challenges: Leaders cited change management for curriculum redesign, integrating interdisciplinary and longitudinal learning, and the need for timely, accurate data systems to support continuous quality improvement.

Regents’ questions and technology
Regents asked about cultural humility and curriculum threads addressing equity and communication. Leaders described required content on structural competence, societal problems and cultural competence, and provided examples of school‑wide threads and community‑based learning. Regents also asked about artificial intelligence; presenters said campuses are integrating computational medicine, radiology and predictive medicine initiatives and recommended a future dedicated briefing on AI in training.

Ending: Medical school leaders concluded that preserving faculty-driven governance aligned with LCME elements is essential to maintain accreditation and academic quality, and asked for ongoing regental support as schools adapt curricula to new science and societal needs.