The AOA and ACGME are providing this statement of joint principles to help clarify for residents/fellows and programs the issues related to board certification that have arisen through the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the nation and world face the evolving COVID-19 (SARS COV2) crisis, the ACGME has granted a significant degree of flexibility to accredited Sponsoring Institutions and programs to realign their resident and fellow workforce to meet the increased clinical demands created by the pandemic. This flexibility with expectations is provided consistent with the ACGME’s commitment to patient safety and resident/fellow safety.

The Version 2.0 of CLER Pathways to Excellence: Expectations for an Optimal Clinical Learning Environment to Achieve Safe and High-Quality Patient Care, has been published.

The Coalition for Physician Accountability, of which the ACGME is a member, released a report and recommendations on learner transitions from medical school into residency programs in 2020.

The ACGME invoked its Extraordinary Circumstances Policy (ACGME Policies and Procedures, Section 21.00) following the closure announcement for Ohio Valley Medical Center (OVMC), a participating site for ACGME-accredited residency programs. 

Lynne Kirk, MD, MACP will join the ACGME to lead efforts related to the review of residency and fellowship programs. She will begin this new position in September.

The ACGME today hosted the fifth public meeting of the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience focused on “Redesigning the Clinical Learning Environment.”