The ACGME has become aware of several serious allegations of racial bias and discrimination in medical education. The ACGME has called upon the graduate medical education (GME) community to eliminate racism, implicit bias, and other forms of discrimination from GME, as well as from the greater society, via several statements and through the work of its Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In addition, the ACGME, as the GME accreditor, has several Common Program (VI.B.6.) and Institutional (III.B.6.d)) Requirements that mandate a “professional, equitable, respectful, and civil environment that is free from discrimination, sexual and other forms of harassment, mistreatment, abuse, or coercion of students, residents, faculty, and staff.” Any alleged violation of these requirements is taken very seriously and is reviewed under processes defined in the ACGME’s Policies and Procedures, including assessment by a Review Committee, a site visit, issuing of citations, or placing the Sponsoring Institution and/or program on probation, which could lead to withdrawal of accreditation for egregious violations.
While the ACGME’s accredited programs share the same educational and clinical environment as undergraduate medical education, and the ACGME is committed to addressing issues impacting GME, concerns about undergraduate medical education are more appropriately handled by the medical school accreditors.
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