Burnett School of Medicine at TCU Granted Full Accreditation

FORT WORTH, Texas (June 15, 2023) – The Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University was awarded full accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

The LCME accredits medical education programs leading to the M.D. degree in the United States and Canada. The announcement today from the LCME grants full accreditation for the full five years possible to the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.  

In a year of firsts for this new school, this significant milestone caps a seven-year review process that affirms the highest standards in the training of future M.D. physicians. It also establishes the medical school as a vital partner in elevating the national profile of Fort Worth as a hub for innovation in medicine, health care and education.  

“This achievement represents the culmination of a vision that started in 2015 with a bold idea and a tremendous amount of passion. Today, in our 150th year, we are thrilled to celebrate full accreditation of the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine,” said TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr. “We are grateful for the support of the TCU Board of Trustees and commend the efforts of the staff and faculty, as well as the courage and fortitude of the students who took a chance on a new school. Now these new physicians will go out and exemplify what it means to be an Empathetic Scholar ®.”

A group of accreditors from the LCME completed a site visit to the Burnett School of Medicine in February and met with senior leadership, faculty and students before making their decision to grant the medical school full accreditation.

“This has been a tremendous opportunity to establish a unique and innovative medical school in the most remarkable community in the country,” said Stuart D. Flynn, M.D., founding dean of the Burnett School of Medicine. “The amazing individuals at TCU and the School of Medicine embraced a mission to transform medical education to advance patient care. Our goal has always been to inspire our students to be the kind of physicians that you would want caring for you. And our students have worked very hard to get here and they will be the leaders of health care moving forward.”

The Burnett School of Medicine was awarded preliminary accreditation from the LCME in October 2018, which enabled the School of Medicine to begin recruiting its inaugural class. The School of Medicine submitted its provisional accreditation materials in November 2020, leading to provisional accreditation from the LCME in June 2021. The school submitted materials for full accreditation in November 2022 and a survey visit occurred in February 2023.

Attaining full accreditation is a significant milestone in TCU’s $1 billion Lead On campaign and Lead On Strategic Plan and helps to bring recognition to the entire university.

“This solidifies TCU and its medical school graduates as agents of change and as innovators to help answer some of the most pressing issues in health care in Fort Worth and the global community,” TCU President Daniel Pullin said. “After years of intense and focused dedication, the Burnett School of Medicine is now recognized as a leader in transforming medical education. We continue to be committed to excellence, integrity and collaboration that will lead TCU and Fort Worth into the future.”

The LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Medical Association (AMA) and accredits medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States and Canada. LCME accreditation is a voluntary, peer-reviewed process of quality assurance that determines whether the medical education program meets established standards. The comprehensive review covers all aspects of the medical school, including the curriculum, finances, infrastructure and faculty. The full accreditation by the LCME confirms the high quality of the program.

The innovative curriculum at the School of Medicine focuses both on developing Empathetic Scholars®, while embracing and leading major drivers in the future of medicine, including artificial intelligence, technology monitoring patient health and disease and genomics. Each student also does a four-year research thesis, nurturing lifelong inquiry and learning. By 2030, the annual economic impact of the medical school is estimated at $4 billion, and the school is expected to generate about 31,000 jobs for North Texas, according to a Tripp Umbach study.

TCU began construction of a new 100,000-square-foot medical education building in Fort Worth’s Medical District in August 2022 and plans to open its doors in Summer 2024. The medical education building will support 240 medical students, hundreds of staff and faculty and an innovational simulation and technology space. It will also be the first educational building located outside of TCU’s main campus.

About the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU

The Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth’s M.D. school, opened  in July 2019. The allopathic medical school was formed in 2015. The Burnett School of Medicine’s focus on communication, a first-of-its-kind curriculum and the development of Empathetic Scholars® uniquely positions the school to radically transform medical education, improving care for generations.