January 22, 2024

January 22, 2024
NEW! ACGME President and CEO Announces Transition

ACGME President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP announced he intends to step down from his current role on January 1, 2025, to establish the ACGME Center for Professionalism and the Future of Medicine. Dr. Nasca will serve as the initial Senior Fellow and Administrative Director. The ACGME Board of Directors will undertake a national search to identify the next President and CEO.

Read the full announcement in the ACGME Newsroom.



NEW! President's Plenary and Closing Plenary
In his last President’s Plenary, ACGME President and CEO Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP will discuss the ACGME’s vision and strategies to fulfill 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. The Closing Plenary will consist largely of a Q-and-A session with Dr. Nasca. The conference will close with a celebratory tribute to Dr. Nasca during the Toast on the Terrace with ACGME Leadership.


More than 3,800 people have already registered for the conference. The hotel room block has sold out.


Annual Educational Conference Job Board
Recruiters, institutions, and programs can post open positions and reach thousands of graduate medical education (GME) community job seekers before and throughout the conference. At the conference, a dedicated area of the Exhibit Hall will have in-person recruiters and career resources.


Email questions to conferencejobboard@acgme.org.


Review and Comment

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

DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 29, 2024
General Surgery


TUESDAY! Non-Standard Training (NST) Office Hours

Director, Sponsoring Institutions Katharina Wang and Vice President, Sponsoring Institutions Paul Foster Johnson will host office hours to answer questions about Recognition of Sponsoring Institutions with NST Programs for physicians with J-1 visas. No registration is required. Office hours will take place on:

January 23, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Central
Click Here to Participate

The February 5 event previously announced will be rescheduled. Check future e-Communication emails for more information.

Email questions to kwang@acgme.org.

FRIDAY! Submit Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Blackout Weeks by January 26
The window for submitting CLER visit blackout weeks for blocking off dates in the period highlighted below is open through January 26, 2024. Sponsoring Institutions can submit up to four blackout weeks during this period.

Upcoming Windows for Entering Blackout Weeks
  • January 1-26: Submit requests for April-June 2024
  • April 1-26: Submit requests for July-September 2024 
  • July 1-26: Submit requests for October-December 2024
  • October 1-26: Submit requests for January-March 2025
Enter blackout dates in the Accreditation Data System (ADS). Review details and common questions/answers regarding CLER Blackout WeeksEmail questions to CLER@acgme.org.

Register for Free Webinars on Faculty Development Toolkits
REMEDIATION TOOLKIT
Join a 45-minute online walkthrough of the Remediation Toolkit on February 6, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Central. There will be time for Q and A during the session.

Authored by experts from across the US, the toolkit is intended to enhance the success and development of struggling learners across a number of domains, providing guidance on coaching professionalism, communication skills, clinical reasoning, and organization and efficiency. The webinar will offer an overview of the toolkit and its uses. The toolkit and the webinar are offered at no cost to the GME community.


DIRECT OBSERVATION TOOLKIT
Participate in a free workshop Monday, February 12 from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Central. 

Explore the ACGME’s new Improving Assessment Using Direct Observation Toolkit with ACGME experts and toolkit authors in this workshop. It is designed to help faculty members improve the frequency and quality of direct observation of learners with patients. The toolkit and workshop are offered at no cost to members of the GME community.


Now Accepting Nominations for the 2025 ACGME Awards!
The ACGME recognizes notable designated institutional officials, program directors, residents and fellows, institutional and program coordinators, programs, institutions, and specialty and not-for-profit organizations for their outstanding work and contributions to GME through its Awards Program, which includes:
  • John C. Gienapp Award
  • Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award
  • David C. Leach Award
  • Debra L. Dooley GME Program Coordinator Excellence Award
  • GME Institutional Coordinator Excellence Award
  • Lewis Blackman Patient Safety Award
  • Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award
  • Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award
Nomination materials are available on each award's page in the Awards section of the ACGME website. The nomination deadline is March 27 at 5:00 p.m. Central.

Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys
The reporting period for the ACGME’s annual surveys will open February 12, 2024, and run for eight weeks, ending April 7, 2024. The ACGME anticipates that Sponsoring Institutions and programs will receive survey reports in early May.

The ACGME will continue to notify and remind Sponsoring Institutions and program leaders about the surveys throughout the administration period. As in previous years, program leadership is charged with alerting survey takers about their participation using existing mechanisms available within the Accreditation Data System (ADS). Program administrators should review and, if necessary, update their Resident/Fellow and Faculty Rosters in ADS before the surveys open to ensure accurate scheduling of survey participants.

Email questions to ADS@acgme.org.

ACGME Seeks Members for MUA/P Advisory Group
The ACGME seeks nominations of resident/fellow and senior clinical executive leader (e.g., chief executive officers, chief medical officers, chief nursing officers) for the MUA/P Advisory Group. This group provides consultation concerning implementation of the ACGME’s framework for MUA/P and GME. Nominations are due by March 17, 2024.

The senior clinical executive leader will serve up to three years 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: March 17, 2024

NEW! A Systems Approach to Developing Faculty Competencies in Assessment
This course will be offered May 5-10, 2024 at the ACGME office in Chicago, Illinois.

The course is designed to help participants build effective assessment programs for their residency or fellowship. Sessions are highly interactive and use multiple learning approaches, including simulation practice, peer consultations, and application exercises, to provide participants with methods and tools for effective assessment. The course also provides a roadmap for developing an assessment system to assist participants in implementing changes within their own institution.


Email questions to Faculty Development Program Manager Chandra Hill.

Leadership Skills Training Program for Chief Residents 2024 Dates Announced
The Leadership Skills Training Program for Chief Residents is designed to provide a transitional experience into the role of chief resident. The program introduces leadership concepts to enhance individual effectiveness in a leadership role.

The program is three full days and is open to chief residents from all medical and surgical specialties. Eight sessions will be offered in 2024:
    • March 25-27, Chicago, Illinois
    • April 8-10, Redondo Beach, California
    • April 11-13, Redondo Beach, California
    • April 29-May 1, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • May 6-8, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • May 9-11, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
    • June 13-15, Chicago, Illinois
    • June 18-20, Chicago, Illinois
                Register Today!

                Email questions to Manager, Well-Being Initiatives Bethanie Alden.


                Call for Nominations for Resident Members of the JGME Editorial Board
                JGME is seeking current residents or fellows for open resident editor positions on its Editorial Board. Selected editors will join a diverse board representing a wide range of specialties and institutions. The deadline for receipt of nomination materials is Monday, March 11, 2024. There are two resident/fellow editor positions:
                • Position A: Residents or fellows who wish to learn about and participate in the manuscript submission to final decision process for JGME (up to four positions available)
                • Position B: Residents or fellows who want to participate in the visual abstract program for accepted articles (up to three positions available)
                Candidates should email their CV and a brief letter of interest to jgme@acgme.org. The letter should include a statement that the applicant’s program director supports participation and whether the applicant is interested in position A or B.

                Visit jgme.org for details; email questions to jgme@acgme.org.

                NEW! Articles of the Week
                Expanding the Study of Bias in Medical Education Assessment
                Halah Ibrahim, MD, MEHP; Amy Miller Juve, EdD; Alpesh Amin, MD, MBA, MACP; Kenyon Railey, MD; Kathryn M. Andolsek, MD, MPH
                Underrepresented groups in GME continue to be affected by bias, including in narrative assessments, letters of recommendation, and feedback during residency. As there are limited published reports of interventions to minimize effects from bias on important outcomes, this editorial argues for individual and institutional approaches in GME and explores promising areas of future study.

                Faculty- and Program-Level Adaptations to Competency-Based Assessment Demands
                Jeanette Zhang, MD; S. Beth Bierer, PhD; Colleen Y. Colbert, PhD; Judith French, PhD
                Assessors in GME must now adopt a competency-based growth mindset to document learners’ progress and must also acknowledge that their implicit biases and experiences affect how they assess that progress. However, faculty members and program leaders often have limited expertise in identifying and prioritizing the steps needed to improve their assessments. This Rip Out offers practical guidance on how faculty members can start today to improve competency-based assessments, as well as how program leaders can support faculty members long term.

                Call for Public Member
                The following Review Committee seeks its next public member for a six-year term beginning July 1, 2024. Public members share the perspective of the public, foster public accountability, enrich the work of the Review 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.

                DERMATOLOGY
                Details: Additional information is available by selecting Documents and Resources at the top of the Dermatology section of the ACGME website.
                Contact: Sandra Benitez
                Deadline: February 1, 2024
                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.