May 23, 2022

May 23, 2022

Requirements for Review and Comment

The following Program Requirements Requirements and accompanying Impact Statements are posted for review and comment, here:

Comment Deadline: June 16, 2022
Common Program Requirements (Residency)
Common Program Requirements (Fellowship)
Common Program Requirements (One-Year Fellowship)
Common Program Requirements (Post-Doctoral Education)


NEW! NAM National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being Available for Comment through May 27

The NAM Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience has been creating a National Plan for health workforce well-being and just released a draft for public input.

The plan is intended to provide a roadmap to drive collective action to improve the well-being of the health workforce to ensure health workers can provide optimal care for patients and promote the well-being of the nation. NAM seeks input from health workers, students, patient communities, health leaders, policymakers, and others to shape the National Plan and enhance its priority actions.

The ACGME is a proud member of the Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, which is co-chaired by ACGME President and CEO Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP.

Provide feedback at www.nam.edu/NationalPlan by May 27.


NEW! ACGME Rural Track Program Designation Type 2

An additional type of Rural Track Program (RTP) designation is now available. Type 2 program designation is for already-accredited programs seeking to expand by adding a new rural track. Type 2 designation requests must include the addition of at least one new rural participating site and a permanent complement increase request. The Type 2 designation process is available as a sidebar option in ADS.

Instructions, a video overview, FAQs, a toolkit, and more are available on the Rural Track Program Designation page of the ACGME website.

Email questions to muap@acgme.org.


SESSION ADDED! Office Hours with the Institutional Review Committee Executive Director

Institutional Accreditation staff members recognize that designated institutional officials (DIOs) and institutional coordinators are currently preparing for changes related to institutional accreditation and recognition. Institutional Review Committee Executive Director Paul Foster Johnson will host office hours to provide an informal opportunity for members of the GME community to get answers to questions on the following topics:

  • Institutional Requirements Concerning Medical, Parental, and Caregiver Leaves of Absence
    June 2: 3:00-4:00 p.m. Central
    Zoom meeting ID: 965 8395 2877 (ID is linked)
    Zoom meeting passcode: 179331

No advance registration or RSVP is required. Email questions to irc@acgme.org.

Webcast for Program Directors and Coordinators on the 2022-2023 Annual Update Changes - Thursday!

This webcast will provide information about the Accreditation Data System (ADS) Annual Update timelines and changes for Academic Year 2022-2023 to help designated institutional officials, program directors, and coordinators better prepare for and effectively complete the Annual Update.

Register Here
Thursday, May 26, 2022
11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Central

The recorded webcast will be available in Learn at ACGME within a week of the live presentation. (A free account is required to access materials in Learn at ACGME.)


Burden Reduction: Faculty Board Certification Update

As part of the ACGME’s commitment to and continued efforts toward improving the user experience, beginning July 1, 2022, the ACGME will default to using data obtained from the American Board of Medical Specialties and American Osteopathic Association for faculty certification. These data will be populated into the Faculty Roster in the Accreditation Data System (ADS) and used during program review and in accreditation and recognition site visit materials. This change is intended to reduce programs’ data entry burden. Programs will no longer be required to manually enter faculty members’ ABMS/AOA board certification data in ADS.

Physician faculty members will be matched to the datasets based on National Provider Identifier (NPI) number, as well as name, date of birth, and medical school graduation year. Faculty members who are newly entered into ADS will have their certification information matched and populated within 24 hours. If a faculty member’s certification information is missing or inaccurate, programs will be able to provide the ACGME with the correct details in the faculty member’s profile. For faculty members who are certified by another body, are board-eligible, or are not certified, programs will continue to manually provide that information.

What do programs need to do now?
NPI numbers entered in ADS must be accurate and complete. As soon as possible:

  • Check the program’s Faculty Roster in ADS for any required missing data.
  • Verify NPI numbers are accurate; if a faculty members’ NPI number is missing or unknown, use the “Search National Provider ID” link, provided in ADS, to look it up. Faculty data can be downloaded from the Reports tab.

Further updates will be provided in subsequent communications and posted in the ADS Help Center.


CLER COVID Protocol

The CLER COVID protocol concluded effective May 1, 2022. A national report with aggregate de-identified findings from the approximately 300 sites visited will be released in the fall.

The CLER Program will now focus on Protocol 4. Field test visits for Protocol 4 will begin this summer, with a full launch anticipated shortly thereafter. These visits will be conducted on site with remote video components.

Email questions to cler@acgme.org.


Resident/Fellow and Faculty Survey Multi-Year Reports Now Available

Additional ACGME Resident/Fellow and Faculty Survey reports are now available in ADS for programs that participated in the 2021-2022 surveys but had fewer than four survey takers scheduled to participate. These reports aggregate survey data across multiple reporting years, allowing the ACGME to provide feedback to programs that would otherwise not receive a report due to a smaller cohort of survey takers. Standard annual survey reports are available only to compliant programs that had at least four people scheduled to participate that year.

Programs will receive this multi-year report if they had at least four total survey takers complete the survey over the past few academic years. In an effort to provide increased visibility into survey data this academic year, the multi-year aggregated report for the 2021-2022 academic year will only contain three years of survey data instead of the standard four. These reports are available by logging into ADS and navigating to the Surveys tab for programs, and the Reports tab for Sponsoring Institutions (under the Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys option).

Email questions to ads@acgme.org.


Selected #ACGME2022 Presentations Available in Learn at ACGME

Selected presentations from the 2022 ACGME Annual Educational Conference are now available to the GME community for free in Learn at ACGME. Users must have or create a free account in Learn (create an account here) to access these presentations. Once logged in, either search for the specific titles listed below or go to the ACGME Annual Educational Conference section and click on 2022. Presentations available are:

  • Introductory Course for New Program Directors (Learning Path for new program directors; includes six short courses)
  • 29 Review and Recognition Committee Updates
  • The Starting Line: Site Visit Preparation for Sponsoring Institutions and Programs
  • Preparing Residents/Fellows to Manage Pain and Substance Use Disorder
  • ACGME Equity MattersTM – Moving from DEI Conversations to Action
  • Medically Underserved Areas/Populations: Partnerships to Establish and Sustain Rural GME

Email questions regarding Learn at ACGME or access to the platform to desupport@acgme.org.


ACGME Seeks Members for MUA/P Advisory Group

The ACGME is forming an Advisory Group that will provide consultation concerning implementation of the ACGME’s framework for MUA/P and GME. Nominations are open now until June 1, 2022 for individuals representing diverse perspectives with expertise in GME, MUA/P, and/or health care policy/governance. Members (designated institutional officials, program directors, and senior clinical executive leaders) and public members will serve up to three-year initial terms with the option of renewing for an additional three-year term. Resident/fellow members will serve two-year terms. Self-nominations are accepted.

Details: Additional information is available on the MUA/P Advisory Group web page of the ACGME website.
Contact: Laney McDougal
Deadline: June 1, 2022


Milestones Year-End Reporting

The Milestones reporting window is open until Friday, June 24, 2022. Milestones assessments can be submitted via the Accreditation Data System during this period. Email technical assistance questions to ADS@acgme.org. Email content questions to milestones@acgme.org.


NEW! JGME Articles of the Week

Development of a Novel, Low-Cost, Low-Fidelity Simulation Model for Pudendal Nerve Block Application
Dhanalakshmi K. Thiyagarajan, MD; Catherine Wheatley, MD; Aparna Ramanathan, MD, MPH
Pudendal nerve block is an important alternative to neuraxial anesthesia, yet studies demonstrate that three to 50 percent of pudendal nerve blocks are ineffective. Lack of clinician training is the most common cause, and there are no simulation models currently described. The authors of this study developed a simulation model using commonly found supplies and demonstrated that it improved knowledge and confidence in obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine residents after one hour of simulation training.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Milestones: Creation of a Tool to Evaluate Graduate Medical Education Programs
Paul A. Ravenna, MD et al.
The Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors Diversity and Health Equity Task Force developed a guide, modeled after the ACGME Milestones, for programs to use to evaluate and track progress toward longitudinal diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. The pilot implementation showed these milestones were easily used by family medicine faculty members in a variety of settings.


Basics of Accreditation Workshops for New Program Coordinators

These workshops are an excellent opportunity for new program coordinators to become acclimated to the ACGME's accreditation process, meet ACGME staff members, ask questions, and network with other coordinators. They will be held virtually in May and June; space is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

The two-part, specialty-specific workshop series is designed for coordinators with fewer than two years' experience in the coordinator role and will assist them in understanding the basics of ACGME accreditation of residency and fellowship programs.

Visit the Basics of Accreditation web page for details.


ACGME Seeks Institutional Review Committee Member

The Institutional Review Committee is seeking one designated institutional officer (DIO) to serve a six-year term as a Committee member beginning July 1, 2023. Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Institutional Review Committee page of the ACGME website.

The deadline to apply is September 5, 2022. Email questions to irc@acgme.org.


ACGME Seeks Public Member

The following Review Committee is seeking its next public member for a six-year term beginning July 1, 2023. these members share the perspective of the public, foster public accountability, enrich the work of the Committee through outside expertise, and create transparency. While nominees cannot be physicians, other health care professionals are permitted if they are not employed by an organization with ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship programs.

Thoracic Surgery
Details: Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Thoracic Surgery specialty page of the ACGME website.
Contact: Michelle Armstrong
Deadline: June 30, 2022


ACGME Seeks Resident Members

The following Review Committees seeks nomination for their next resident member positions. Nominees must be enrolled in an ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program at the time of the appointment and may not serve more than one year beyond completion of that residency or fellowship. After review and consideration of all nominees, the Review Committee will forward its selection to the ACGME Board of Directors for approval. Terms begin July 1, 2023 and end June 30, 2025.

Institutional
Details: Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Institutional Review Committee page of the ACGME website.
Contact: irc@acgme.org
Deadline: September 5, 2022

Thoracic Surgery
Details: Applicants must be a current PGY-2-5 during the 2023-2024 academic year. Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Thoracic Surgery section of the ACGME website.
Contact: Michelle Armstrong
Deadline: June 15, 2022


NEW! Non-Standard Training (NST) Program Recognition Application Available

The recognition application for Sponsoring Institutions with NST programs is now available. Sponsoring Institutions can begin applications for NST Recognition in ADS. Applications will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis for Institutional Review Committee review beginning in fall 2022.

Email questions to irc@acgme.org.


Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management Application Available

The application and list of required uploads for the Sponsoring Institution-based fellowship in Health Care Administration, Leadership, and Management are now available. Sponsoring Institutions can begin applications in ADS in late June 2022. Application reviews will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis for Institutional Review Committee review beginning in fall 2022.

Email questions to irc@acgme.org.


New Institutional Resource Available

A new Frequently Asked Questions document about sponsorship changes and Sponsoring Institution and program name changes has been posted to the Documents and Resources page of the Institutional Review Committee section of the ACGME website.

Email questions related to the process for sponsorship changes or name changes to irc@acgme.org.


Institutional Requirements Major Revision Advisory Group

The Institutional Review Committee seeks recommendations for members for a multi-stakeholder advisory group to inform the major revision of the ACGME Institutional Requirements. The Committee values diversity and wants to include perspectives from a variety of institutional roles. Recommendations of chief executive officers, chief medical officers, chief nursing officers, chief academic officers, program directors, residents/fellows, and public members are welcome.

When selecting candidates, the Committee will consider skills, professional qualifications, geographic representation, individual diversity of members, and diversity of Sponsoring Institution types. The group’s first meeting will be in August 2022.

Email the name, contact email address, and title for the recommended individual, as well as a paragraph explaining why this person should be an advisory group member to dio@acgme.org by Friday, June 17, 2022.


Meeting and Agenda Closing Dates Posted

Meeting dates are listed on the overview page of each specialty section on the ACGME website. While many specialties have already updated their information, updates may continue until July 1, 2022. Meeting dates and associated agenda closing dates for the Osteopathic Recognition Committee are posted on the Osteopathic Recognition page.


Career Opportunities

The ACGME is always interested in finding talented, dedicated individuals to join the organization and support its mission to improve health care and population health by assessing and enhancing the quality of resident and fellow physicians' education through advancements in accreditation and education.

View Open Positions