Accreditation Status
The Thomas F. Frist College of Medicine at Belmont University has achieved preliminary accreditation, the initial level of accreditation granted to new medical schools in the United States by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)—the U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting body for allopathic medical education. The Frist College of Medicine is now officially listed in the LCME directory of accredited medical schools.
In October 2023, the LCME notified Belmont University and the Frist College of Medicine of the preliminary accreditation of its medical education program. This milestone reflects more than three years of dedicated planning and development to build a medical school infrastructure that meets LCME standards for programs leading to the M.D. degree. This achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of FCoM faculty and staff, colleagues from the Colleges of Nursing, Mathematics and Science, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Belmont University leadership, clinical affiliate partners, and community members. We are deeply grateful to all who contributed to this success.
Looking ahead, the next major step in our accreditation journey is the LCME’s provisional accreditation site visit, scheduled for February 2026. This visit is a critical part of the process toward full accreditation and will assess our continued progress in delivering a high-quality medical education program.
For more information about the LCME accreditation process, [click here].
With immense joy and gratitude, I announce that the Frist College of Medicine HAS ACHIEVED preliminary accreditation!!!
Our path, which began in the fall of 2020, has indeed been extraordinary, marked by unwavering faith, perseverance, and growth. Through it all, God's promises such as stated in Jeremiah 33.3 (KJV), have held true: "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. And the Lord has guided us in His good work that He has begun in us, as stated in Philippians 1:6 (AMP): "I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].
So today, we stand before this significant milestone, and we humbly thank God for this accomplishment inspired by His love and grace. I thank each one of you. I thank you for your hard work and unwavering commitment to excellence. I thank you for your collective dedication and team spirit through the ups and downs of our journey. Each one of you has played a crucial role in bringing us to this point. Furthermore, I acknowledge the families of our team members who have made sacrifices along the way with unwavering support of our colleagues.
While preliminary accreditation is a significant milestone, we have more highpoints to reach, with ensuing challenges to meet. And we will have continued success. We continue in this good work together. For now, let us celebrate and treasure this moment.
Congratulations to all of you on this remarkable achievement.
Yours in Christ,
Anderson Spickard, III, MD, MS
Dean and Professor of Internal Medicine
Quick Accreditation Questions
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is a nationally recognized accrediting authority for medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the U.S. and Canada. LCME accreditation is a voluntary, peer-reviewed quality assurance process that determines whether a medical education program meets established standards outlined in the Functions and Structure of a Medical School.
LCME accreditation is required in most states for licensing graduates and receiving federal financial aid. Only graduates of LCME-accredited schools are eligible for residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) purposes.
The Accreditation consists of four components:
- Data Collection Instrument (DCI)
- Faculty led Institutional Self Study
- Student led Independent Student Analysis (ISA)
- Site Visit by Faculty/Deans from other medical schools
Contact Us
Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615.460.6191