The Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) was founded in 1979 by the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC), formerly, the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges (ACMC) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) to act as the reliable authority for the accreditation of programs of medical education leading to the MD degree in Canada. Canadian medical education programs were accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) since 1942 and from 1979 until the present, Canadian schools have been accredited by both the CACMS and the LCME using a joint process. In 2013, the sponsors of CACMS (AFMC and CMA) and the sponsors of the LCME (The Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further codify the relationship between CACMS and the LCME. This agreement provided more independence in decision-making, standard-setting and modification of the accreditation process to CACMS to help align Canadian education programs to respond to their social accountability. This MOU concluded in September 2021. The decision was made to implement separate processes going forward in which the CACMS assumes independent accreditation of Canadian medical education programs and the LCME will continue to accredit medical education programs in the United States.
Scope of CACMS Responsibility
The CACMS accredits complete and independent medical schools whose students are geographically located in Canada for their education, and which are offered by universities that are chartered and operated in Canada.
