As the current chair of the ACGME Board of Directors, Rowen Zetterman, MD, filled several important roles at this year’s Annual Educational Conference, presenting awards and introducing Dr. Nasca for his President and CEO Address among them. We caught up with Dr. Zetterman in between his activities to learn a little more about his experience the last few years with the ACGME and, in particular, at the Annual Educational Conference.

Register for the 2026 ACGME Annual Educational Conference; participate in Review and Comment; read the JGME Articles of the Week.

Submit a work of music for Arts and Humanities in Medicine at #ACGME2026; view the full #ACGME2026 schedule; sign up to participate in ACGME LINC; and file mid-year Milestones.

If you were working in GME back in the 80s, maybe you attended one of the ACGME’s early forerunners of the Annual Educational Conference.

ACGME President and CEO Dr. Nasca kicked off his Saturday morning session at the Annual Educational Conference with some “non-rhetorical” questions: Can anyone predict what the health care system will look like in 2035? Can anyone predict how long your residents will practice? 40 years?

After stumping the room, he went on to explain that it is our job is to prepare residents to practice in the future—not to arm them with practices, skills, and knowledge of the present. We want our residents to be prepared not just for 2018 but for 2035—and beyond.

For the first time since 2012, the ACGME today presented the John C. Gienapp Distinguished Service Award to Timothy C. Flynn, MD, FACS. The award is named for Dr. John Gienapp, who was the ACGME’s Executive Director for 19 years. Dr. Gienapp made several important contributions to GME and ACGME accreditation, and when he retired this award was established in his honor to recognize those who, like himself, dedicated themselves to a career in graduate medical education and made outstanding contributions to residency education and ACGME activities in a variety of ways.

Read the Journal of Graduate Medical Education Articles of the Week; nominate a resident or fellow to participate in a Review or Recognition Committee; participate in a course or workshop; and more.

Apply to join an Appeals Panel; participate in a webinar about nutritional competencies; take a survey about Milestones 2.0 to inform the next iteration of the program; and take a course in developing faculty competencies.

Register for ACGME Cloud training; participate in Review and Comment; learn about the ACGME Requirements reformatting process; and more.

Register for ACGME Cloud training; participate in a course or workshop; read the Journal of Graduate Medical Education's Articles of the Week, and more.