NEW! Coalition for Physician Accountability Updates Recommendations for 2021-2022 Medical Student Away Rotations
On April 14, the Coalition for Physician Accountability released an update to its January 25 recommendations on medical student away rotations in the 2021-2022 academic year. Those recommendations are an update to earlier guidance published on May 11, 2020.
The ACGME is a member of the Coalition, a cross-organizational group of national medical education organizations.
Read More on the Coalition's COVID-19 Response
Access the ACGME's COVID-19 Section
Visit the COVID-19 section of the ACGME website for access to a range of materials, including ACGME Guidance Statements, Frequently Asked Questions, institutional and well-being resources, and more.
NEW! Recognition of Non-Standard Training for Exchange Visitor (J-1) Physicians to Transition to the ACGME
Today, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG®), American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS®), and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME®) announced a change in the process for recognition of non-standard training as it relates to the J-1 visa program administered by ECFMG. The term “non-standard training” refers to advanced clinical subspecialty disciplines or pathways for which there is no ACGME accreditation and/or ABMS Member Board certification available. Currently, all non-standard disciplines must be endorsed by an appropriate ABMS Member Board to be considered for J-1 sponsorship.
Under the new model, the ACGME will offer recognition of Sponsoring Institutions that offer non-standard training programs for exchange visitor physicians. This recognition has been designed to ensure that institutions are providing appropriate oversight of the non-standard training program(s) they offer. The ACGME will not recognize individual non-standard training programs. A working group has been formed to develop Recognition Requirements and, upon ACGME Board approval of those Requirements, a new Recognition Committee will be formed to review and monitor institutions seeking to achieve and maintain this recognition.
Read More in the ACGME Newsroom
Access the Poster Hall and On-Demand Conference Content
Register now to view the latest in graduate medical education research in the Poster Hall of the 2021 Annual Educational Conference's virtual platform. Featured research covers a wide range of topics, including personal protective equipment protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, preventing physician burnout, implementing an anti-racist workshop, and more.
On-demand content from the conference is available in the virtual conference platform through June 1, 2021. For those who were unable to attend the live event, registration is still available. Those who attended with standard registration can upgrade for extended access by emailing registration@acgme.org.
Save the Date!
2022 Annual Educational Conference
February 24-27, 2022
Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, Orlando, Florida
Registration for the 2022 Annual Educational Conference will open in late fall 2021.
REGISTER TODAY! The Basics of Accreditation Workshops
Space is limited and spots are filling up fast! The Basics of Accreditation for New Program Coordinators workshops will be held virtually in May and June. Participation is available on a first come, first served basis. This two-part, specialty-specific workshop series helps new program coordinators understand ACGME accreditation practices and processes.
For details, visit the Basics of Accreditation page on the ACGME website.
NEW! Journal of Graduate Medical Education (JGME) April 2021 Issue Is Now Online
The April issue of JGME includes the continued feature section on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, with articles on mentoring underrepresented in medicine learners, defeating unconscious bias, the experiences of transgender and non-binary physicians, and diversifying residency programs with holistic review.
The issue also includes articles on graduate medical education parental leave policies, the ACGME Milestones, residency applications, and clinical learning environments.
Check out the open access issue and more at www.jgme.org.
DEADLINE APPROACHING! 2022 ACGME Awards Nominations Open
The ACGME is currently accepting nominations for the 2022 ACGME Awards and the nomination deadline has been extended to April 28, 2021.
The ACGME recognizes notable designated institutional officials (DIOs), program directors, residents and fellows, and institutional and program coordinators for their outstanding work and contributions to GME through its Awards Program.
Nomination materials are available in the Awards section of the ACGME website.
NEW! Introduction to Assessment Course Updated to Help Faculty Members New to Assessment
The Frameworks of Assessment in Training (Part 1) will define assessment and discuss common assessment methods. Choosing Your Assessment Tool(s) (Part 2) will look at the purpose of different types of assessment tools, assess the use of specific tools of an individual program, and help participants assemble a set of assessment tools suited to the individual program’s needs.
Log Into Learn at ACGME to View
NEW! Milestones 2.0 Review and Comment
New drafts of the Milestones for the specialties/subspecialties listed below are available for review and comment. The Milestones reporting data, along with other survey results and comments, informed the changes. The Work Groups also created Supplemental Guides to enhance understanding of the Milestones.
Deadline: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 - Specialties Added!
Abdominal Radiology
Brain Injury Medicine
Dermatopathology
Medical Biochemical Genetics
Molecular Genetic Pathology
Musculoskeletal Radiology
Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine
NEW! Deadline: Sunday, May 9, 2021
Clinical Neurophysiology
Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Pediatric Radiology
Pediatric Urology
Surgical Critical Care
Vascular Neurology
Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.
Milestones Year-End Reporting Open April 19 to June 25
The reporting window will be open from Monday, April 19 to Friday, June 25, 2021. Milestones assessments can be submitted via the Accreditation Data System (ADS) at any point during this time. A list of specialties that have or soon will transition to Milestones 2.0 can be found on the Milestones section of the ACGME website.
Email technical questions to ADS@acgme.org.
Email content questions to milestones@acgme.org.
CLER Visit Blackout Weeks Reporting Window Open
The window for submitting Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) visit blackout weeks is open through April 26, 2021. Sponsoring Institutions can submit up to four blackout weeks during this period.
Remaining 2021 Dates for Entering Blackout Weeks (four weeks permitted per window):
- April 1-26 - Submit requests for July-September
- July 1-26 - Submit requests for October-December
CLER blackout weeks are intended to block scheduling of CLER visits for dates when institutional leaders and staff members are unavailable. The DIO and CEO of the site being visited must be available to remotely participate in an initial and exit meeting for the CLER visit.
NOTE: Sponsoring Institutions with a status of Initial Accreditation will not have a CLER visit until their status is changed to Continued Accreditation, and do not need to enter blackout requests.
In 2021, the CLER Program will also avoid scheduling visits on these dates:
- January 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- May 31 (Memorial Day)
- June 21-25
- June 28-July 2
- July 5 (Independence Day observed)
- September 6 (Labor Day)
- November 25-26 (Thanksgiving)
- December 20-24
To request blackout weeks, DIOs or institutional coordinators should log into ADS and click on "Blackout Weeks" under "CLER" in the right-hand navigation menu. The CLER Program will make every effort to comply with requests but cannot guarantee visits will not be scheduled during requested blackout dates.
CLER blackout week requests for July 2021 to September 2021 must be submitted by April 26, 2021.
Email questions to CLER@acgme.org.
Accreditation Data System (ADS) News and Updates: Selected Codes Area Redesigned for Desktop Users
With valuable input from the Case Log Resident/Fellow Feedback Group, the Selected Codes area for users in CPT-based specialties has been completely updated. Selected Codes will now always be visible on the right side of the Case Entry, Edit and Copy screen, instead of within its own tab.
Users are also able to remove all codes from a case with one click by selecting "Clear All" at the top of Selected Codes. In addition, for codes with longer descriptions, users will see a "Read More" option.
ADS News and Updates: Case Log Mobile App Enhancements
The Case Log app for residents/fellows has been enhanced to include the ability to view, edit, copy, and delete submitted cases. The Case Log app is only available to resident/fellow users, and can be downloaded from the Google Play and iOS app stores.
Android users, open the Google Play Store and search for "ACGME Case Logs."
iPhone users, open the App Store and search for "ACGME Case Logs."
ADS News and Updates: Graduate Case Log National Specialty Reports on ADS Public
The National Specialty-Level Case Logs Graduate Statistics Reports have been moved to the Reports section of the ADS Public site and will be maintained there. In the upcoming months, these reports will be removed from their current location under the Data Collection Systems tab on the ACGME website. Users should update existing bookmarks to the new URL: https://apps.acgme.org/ads/Public/Reports/Report/25.
ADS News and Updates: Sponsored Program Graduate Case Log Reports
Sponsoring Institutions can now access Case Log Graduate Statistics Reports for their accredited programs from a single location within the institutional account, including national, program, individual resident, and minimum reports (applicable both for specialties for which the use of Case Logs is required by the ACGME and specialties for which use is available, but not required). The "Program Case Log Graduate Statistics" page is located under the Reports tab in ADS, and reports can be accessed by selecting an "Academic Year" and then clicking "Reports" for each program. Note: reports are available for previous academic years.
Email questions regarding these changes to ADS@acgme.org.
Resources from GME Stakeholders Congress for Opioid Use Now Available
Videos and resources from the GME Stakeholders Congress on Preparing Residents and Fellows to Manage Pain and Addiction, held in late March, are available to the public free of charge. To access this content, sign up for a Learn at ACGME account or log into an existing account. Email questions related to accessing the materials to de@acgme.org.
Calls for Resident Members
The following Review Committees are seeking their next resident member for terms beginning July 1, 2022. A resident member serves on the Review Committee to share the resident/fellow perspective, foster accountability to the needs of residents and fellows, enrich the work of the committee through outside expertise, and create transparency in the work of the Review Committee. Selected nominees will be presented to the ACGME Board of Directors for approval. The membership term is July 1, 2022-June 30, 2024.
ANESTHESIOLOGY
Details: The resident member must have a minimum of one year of residency education remaining after July 1, 2023. Additional information and nomination form available upon request.
Contact: Aimee Morales
Deadline: July 1, 2021
RADIATION ONCOLOGY
Details: The resident member must have a minimum of one year of residency education remaining after July 1, 2023. Additional information and nomination form available upon request.
Contact: Aimee Morales
Deadline: July 1, 2021
TRANSITIONAL YEAR
Details: The resident member must have a minimum of one year of residency education remaining after July 1, 2023. Additional information and nomination form available upon request.
Contact: Aimee Morales
Deadline: July 1, 2021
Calls for Public Members
The following Review Committees are seeking their next public member for terms beginning July 1, 2022. A public member serves on the Review Committee to share the perspective of the public, foster accountability to the needs of the public, enrich the work of the Committee through outside expertise, and create transparency in the work of the Review Committee. Nominees must not be physicians. Other health care professionals are permitted, provided they are not employed by an organization with ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship programs. The term of appointment is six years.
ANESTHESIOLOGY
Details: Additional information and nomination form available upon request.
Contact: Aimee Morales
Deadline: July 1, 2021
EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Details: Additional information and nomination form available upon request.
Contact: Bianca Andino
Deadline: August 2, 2021
TRANSITIONAL YEAR
Details: Additional information and nomination form available upon request.
Contact: Aimee Morales
Deadline: July 1, 2021
Transitional Year Review Committee Seeks New Member
The Committee seeks a new member for a position that will become available July 1, 2022. The candidate should be currently certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine or the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine. The new member's term will begin July 1, 2022 and end June 30, 2028.
Additional information and the nomination form are available upon request from Senior Accreditation Administrator Aimee Morales.
Nominations due by July 1, 2021.
Review and Recognition Committee Meeting and Agenda Closing Dates Posted
Meeting dates are listed on the overview page for each specialty's section on the ACGME website. Most specialties have already updated their information.
Meeting dates and associated agenda closing dates for the Osteopathic Principles Committee are posted on the Osteopathic Recognition page of the ACGME website.
This process will continue through July 1, 2021.
NEW! Review Committee News / Notices: Dermatology and Pathology
The Review Committees for Dermatology and Pathology have reconstituted the Dermatopathology Subcommittee, with the following mission, composition, and function and two issues identified to address immediately:
- Mission: To ensure equality of educational experiences for the dermatology- and pathology-educated and trained fellows.
- Composition: Dermatopathologist members of the Review Committees for Dermatology and Pathology
- Function: Meet two to three times a year (in conjunction with Review Committee meetings) to discuss issues specific to the fellowship and ensure consistent reviews of fellowship programs across both Review Committees.
- Issues to Address Immediately:
Contact the Executive Director of the applicable Review Committee directly with any questions or concerns: Eileen Anthony (dermatology); Kate Hatlak (pathology).
Review Committee News / Notices: Emergency Medicine
The grace period for faculty emergency medical services board certification for all emergency medical services programs has ended. The Review Committee previously allowed several alternate criteria to satisfy the faculty qualifications requirements for the program director and other required faculty members. Since the five-year transition period has passed, the Review Committee expects all required faculty members to hold emergency medical services board certification.
The Emergency Medical Services FAQs on the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page in the Emergency Medicine section of the ACGME website provide additional details.
The Review Committee will assess all programs this summer to determine individual program compliance with the faculty certification requirements.
REGISTER TODAY! Review Committee News / Notices: Institutional Updates and Town Hall Webcast April 26
This webcast, scheduled for April 26, 4:30-6:00 p.m. Central, will focus on the Institutional Review Committee’s 2020-2021 accreditation review of Sponsoring Institutions, its focused revision of ACGME Institutional Requirements, and the work of the CLER Program. It will highlight ACGME actions to assist and support Sponsoring Institutions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, key findings from the CLER National Reports of Findings, and updates on the CLER site visit designed to assess the impact of COVID-19.
The webcast includes an open forum during which participants can ask presenters questions.
Email questions to dio@acgme.org.
Recognition Committee News / Notices: Osteopathic Recognition-Specific Question Document Updated
The Osteopathic Recognition-Specific Question document has been updated and is available on the Osteopathic Recognition page of the ACGME website. Programs that submit an application for Osteopathic Recognition on or after July 1, 2021 will be required to complete and submit the updated version of this document. Programs that submit an application prior to July 1, 2021 can use either the updated version or the version from August 2018.
NEW! Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
The Review Committee has updated the Case Log Coding Guidelines with additional information on use of untracked codes by residents from the previously announced changes to the ACGME’s Resident Case Log System. The Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Case Log Announcement includes updated contact information for the new executive director. These documents can be found on the Documents and Resources page in the Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery section of the ACGME website.
Email questions to Executive Director Corey J. Parker, MPA.
NEW! Review Committee News / Notices: Radiology
In light of requests for clarification regarding the I-131 therapy requirements and the expectations for I-131 therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Review Committee reminds the community of the following requirements:
IV.C.4.d).(2) Under AU preceptor supervision, residents must:
IV.C.4.d).(2).(a) participate in at least three cases involving the oral administration of less than or equal to 1.22 gigabecquerels (33 millicuries) of sodium iodide I-131 and at least three cases involving the oral administration of greater than 1.22 gigabecquerels (33 millicuries) of sodium iodide I-131. (Core)
When residents are involved in sodium iodide I-131 cases, it has always been the expectation that up to two residents can take credit for the same case/patient encounter.
The AU preceptor is responsible to ensure:
- The sodium iodide administration experience meets the above requirements for three cases with administered dose less than 33 millicuries and three cases with administered dose greater than 33 millicuries.
- Each case submitted to meet the requirement is shared by no more than two residents.
COVID-19 Modification:
Rules for residents’ I-131 therapy experience during COVID-19 are the same; they have not been modified, except in the rare event that a senior resident cannot fulfill the I-131 requirement during residency, due to the impact of COVID-19 on clinical volume or COVID-19 related restrictions on in-person workplace participation.
In this situation, the Review Committee will allow post-graduate documentation of supervised sodium iodide I-131 administration cases. No more than two individuals, including post graduate residents if necessary due to COVID 19, may claim credit for any single case.
Career Opportunities
The ACGME currently has the following open positions:
- ACGME International President and Chief Executive Officer
- Accreditation Field Representative
- Accreditation Standards Administrator
- Data Analyst
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research and Policy Lead
- Medical Writer
- Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator/Project Manager
- Program Director, Diversity Initiatives
- Quality Assurance Coordinator
- Research Associate, Diversity, Workforce and Educational Outcomes
- Senior Project Manager
- SQL Developer
Click on the position linked above for details and to complete an application.