In preparation for the Next Accreditation System (NAS), the Common Program Requirements have been categorized as:

• Core Requirements: Statements that define structure, resource, or process elements essential to every graduate medical educational program.

• Detail Requirements: Statements that describe a specific structure, resource, or process for achieving compliance with a Core Requirement. Programs in substantial compliance with the Outcome Requirements may utilize alternative or innovative approaches to meet Core Requirements.

• Outcome Requirements: Statements that specify expected measurable or observable attributes (knowledge, abilities, skills, or attitudes) of residents or fellows at key stages of their graduate medical education.

Subsequently, the specialties moving forward with implementation of the NAS in July 2013 must categorize the specialty-specific requirements. For “categorization” revisions, only the labeling of the requirements as core, detail, or outcome will be open for review and comment.

For more information regarding the NAS visit: http://www.acgme-nas.org/.

The ACGME invites comments from the community of interest regarding the proposed requirements listed below. As specified in the ACGME Manual of Policies and Procedures, the following groups constitute the ACGME community of interest:

• Member organizations of the ACGME
• Appointing organizations of the Review Committee
• Designated institutional officials
• Review Committee Chairs and Executive Directors
• Program directors in the specialty

At the discretion of the Review Committee, additional specialty organizations may be invited to comment.

For focused revisions, only the section(s) of the requirements being revised will be open for review and comment.

Comments must be submitted electronically, using the form provided here, to the respective specialty mailbox indicated. It is up to the Review Committee’s discretion whether to consider any responses submitted in a format other than the stated requested format, or which do not provide the requested information.

Review and Comment Form

Comments submitted in response to the proposed requirements shall be evaluated by the Review Committee, and the Review Committee shall determine which suggestions will be incorporated into the proposal. If a Review Committee disagrees with any substantive suggestions submitted by an ACGME member organization, an appointing organization of the Review Committee, another Review Committee, a program director in the specialty, or a program director association, the Committee must address each of these written responses by explaining its reasons for declining the suggestion. This information (that is, acceptance or decline of comments received during the stated period of review and comment) must be included in a cover memo when the document is presented to the ACGME Committee on Requirements for approval. (N.B. - There is no requirement that suggestions submitted by a member organization be distributed to other members, nor is there a requirement that the proposed requirements be distributed again for review and comment to the member organizations of the ACGME.) The final proposal must be formally approved by the Review Committee before submission to the ACGME Committee on Requirements.