LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Toni Ganzel, M.D., M.B.A., dean of the University of Louisville School of Medicine, has been appointed to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), the governing body that accredits medical education programs throughout the United States and Canada. Her three-year term begins July 1.

Ganzel will be one of 19 voting members of the LCME – 15 medical educators/administrators/ practicing physicians, two public members and two medical students. Each year, the LCME reviews annual survey data and written reports on all accredited U.S. and Canadian medical schools, and conducts survey visits to 20-30 institutions.

LCME accreditation is a peer-reviewed process of quality assurance that determines whether a medical education program meets established standards. This process also fosters institutional and programmatic improvement.

To achieve and maintain accreditation, a medical education program leading to the M.D. degree in the United States and Canada must meet the LCME’s accreditation standards. Programs are required to demonstrate that their graduates exhibit general professional competencies that are appropriate for entry to the next stage of their training and serve as the foundation for lifelong learning and proficient medical care.

For medical education programs located in the United States, accreditation by the LCME establishes eligibility for selected federal grants and programs. Most state boards of licensure also require that U.S. medical schools granting the M.D. degree be accredited by the LCME as a condition for licensure of their graduates.

Eligibility of students in M.D.-granting schools to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination requires LCME accreditation of their school. Graduates of LCME-accredited schools are eligible for residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

Ganzel’s appointment follows the UofL School of Medicine’s success in revising its program and seeing the probationary status of the school fully lifted in 2015.

“I am honored that the LCME has selected me for the important task of surveying medical schools that are scheduled for accreditation review, and I view this appointment as one of the highlights of my career,” Ganzel said. “At UofL, we learned a great deal during our own accreditation review, and developed strong systems that modernized our program of education and training for physicians of the 21st Century. I look forward to bringing that perspective to the LCME and working with colleagues to help shape the future of medical education.”