ACGME e-Communication - June 13, 2022

Requirements for Review and Comment

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

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

Comment Deadline: July 14, 2022
Hand Surgery


Subspecialty Proposal

As part of the ongoing effort to encourage the participation of the graduate medical education community and the public in the process of reviewing potential new areas for accreditation, the ACGME offers a 45-day comment period to the community of interest regarding proposed new specialties and subspecialties. Information about the subspecialty and accompanying proposal is available for review here.

Comment Deadline: July 8, 2022
Correctional Medicine (Sponsoring Institution-based fellowship)


NEW! Dedicated Time Requirement Updates

Due to the large number of changes to dedicated time requirements that are effective July 1, 2022, the Selected Topics Across Program Requirements documents for Coordinator Dedicated Time, Core Faculty Dedicated Time, and Program Leadership Dedicated Time were updated in April to allow Sponsoring Institutions and programs to view the approved and proposed dedicated time requirements for all specialties/subspecialties.

At the recent June 2022 Board of Directors meeting, several specialty/subspecialty requirements in these areas were reviewed and approved. The documents have now been updated to reflect the finalized Program Requirements approved by the ACGME Board in June. All applicable specialty/subspecialty-specific Program Requirement documents will be posted on their respective specialty sections of the ACGME website no later than July 1, 2022.

The documents can be found on the Institutional Applications and Requirements page of the Designated Institutional Officials section of the website, under the "Selected Topics Across Program Requirements" heading.


NEW! 2022-2023 ADS Annual Update Webcast and Q and A

The webcast on the ADS Annual Update from May 26, 2022 is now available to view in the ACGME's online learning portal, Learn at ACGME.

The session provided an overview of the changes made to questions in the ADS Annual Update regarding Common Program Requirements and programs' experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, a third part to the COVID-19 questionnaire with questions for program directors will not be introduced this year as originally planned.

The ACGME has created an accompanying Q and A document, available in the ADS Help Desk and Learn at ACGME. A free account is required to access Learn at ACGME. Email questions about the webcast to accreditation@acgme.org.


NEW! Seeking Nominations for the Coordinator Advisory Group

The ACGME is accepting nominations for the next cohort of the Coordinator Advisory Group, which serves as a consultative body concerning coordinator, graduate medical education, learning environment, and accreditation matters. Members will serve three-year terms, from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026.

Additional information, including the group's charge, information about the nomination process, the nomination form, and the disclosure form, can be found on the Coordinator Advisory Group page of the ACGME website.

Completed nomination packets are due August 15, 2022. Email questions to coordadvgroup@acgme.org.


NEW! New and Revised Milestones Available

New and updated version of Milestones are now available for the following specialties and subspecialties. Programs will start using the new Milestones in July 2022, with the first reporting scheduled for January 2023. Supplemental Guides have also be created as a companion tool and are available in both a Word and PDF format on the specialty Milestones pages. The Supplemental Guides include a mapping of Milestones 1.0 to 2.0 to help with the transition.

Critical Care Anesthesiology
Neurocritical Care
Neurotology
Obstetric Anesthesiology
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology
Pediatric Otolaryngology

Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.


DEADLINE WEDNESDAY! ACGME Seeks Resident/Fellow and Public 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. The deadline for resident/fellow and public member nominations is this Wednesday, June 15, 2022.

Public members (individuals who have experience working with underserved populations outside of GME) 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.

Additional information is available on the MUA/P Advisory Group page of the ACGME website. Email questions to Laney McDougal.


ACGME Equity Matters Modules

The ACGME is offering additional self-directed ACGME Equity Matters content in Learn at ACGME. The latest release includes modules about racial and ethnic experiences, as well as identities and populations. These educational resources provide diverse perspectives while raising historical and current injustices in the medical education system in an organized and intentional way. The materials are designed for organizations with leadership support, as well as resources and infrastructure commitments to equity for making meaningful change. (Note: A free account is required to access content in Learn at ACGME.)

The modules are available in two tracks: continuing medical education (CME) learning path; and video library. In the learning path, content is self-paced within a structured design for CME credit. Video library content can be accessed in any order; using guidance from a trained facilitator when viewing modules with large audiences is recommended to avoid perpetuating harm and ensure a safe learning environment.

Email questions to diversity@acgme.org.


Milestones Year-End Reporting

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


NEW! JGME Articles of the Week

The Productive Engagement SPACE: A Guide to Improve Critical Learner Interactions in e-Learning Environments
Sarrah Lal, MBA; Ilana Bayer, PhD; Yusuf Yilmaz, PhD; Teresa M. Chan, MD, MHPE
The Social and Personal—Activity and Assessment—Digital Corridor—Education Delivery (SPACE) framework considers three critical learner interactions (learner-learner, learner-material, and learner-educator) across its four domains. The authors hope the SPACE framework and audit tool can help educators create blended or online experiences to better educate learners to be effective health care communicators and collaborators, prepare them for the digital world, and augment in-class activities.

Reflections From Underrepresented in Medicine Applicants on the 2020 Virtual Interview Season
Christian D. Freeman, MD; Ndéye F. Guissé, MD; D'Andrea R. Ceasar, MD; Omolola Fakunle, MD; Camille A. Fonseca, MD, MPH; Farsam Fraz, MD;
Reba P. Gillis, MD, MBS; Nile M. Harris, MD; Alana C. Nichols, JD, MD; Osose Oboh, MD, MPH; Tracey L. Henry, MD, MPH, MS
Ten racially and ethnically diverse underrepresented in medicine (UIM) applicants from seven specialties discuss their interview experiences. Their reflections span from pre-interview experiences to rank list submission, with the goal of adding to critical conversations around UIM recruitment and retention.


DEADLINE WEDNESDAY! 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 June; space is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

The registration deadline is Wednesday, June 15 for the next workshop, to be held June 22. This workshop is for new program coordinators in the following specialties:

  • Allergy and Immunology
  • Colon and Rectal Surgery
  • Internal Medicine
  • Medical Genetics and Genomics
  • Neurological Surgery
  • Neurology
  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
  • Pathology
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Psychiatry

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.


NEW! Introduction to Sponsoring Institutions and Clinical Learning Environments for Institutional Coordinators

This workshop for institutional coordinators will be held over eight weekly sessions beginning Friday, September 23 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Central. Registration is now open and is limited to 50 institutional coordinators on a first come, first served basis.

Register Now

Sessions include information: on a year in the life of an institutional coordinator; the ACGME annual accreditation cycle; institutional accreditation and requirements; the Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Program; accreditation site visits; diversity, equity, and inclusion in graduate medical education; ADS; and leadership. At the end of the workshop, participants will receive a certificate of completion.


ACGME Seeks Institutional Review Committee Member

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

Apply by September 5, 2022. Email questions to irc@acgme.org.


ACGME Seeks Public Member

The following Review Committee seeks 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 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.

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


NEW! ACGME Seeks Resident Members

The following Review Committees seeks nominations for their next resident member. 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 program. After review and consideration of all nominees, the Review Committees will forward their selection to the ACGME Board of Directors for approval. Terms begin July 1, 2023 and end June 30, 2025.

THORACIC SURGERY - DEADLINE WEDNESDAY!
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! DERMATOLOGY
Details: Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Dermatology section of the ACGME website.
Contact: Sandra Benitez
Deadline: September 12, 2022

NEW! ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY
Details: Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Orthopaedic Surgery section of the ACGME website.
Contact: Jennifer Luna
Deadline: August 1, 2022

NEW! UROLOGY
Details: Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Urology section of the ACGME website.
Contact: Emma Breibart-White
Deadline: August 5, 2022

EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Details: Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Emergency Medicine section of the ACGME website.
Contact: Bianca Andino
Deadline: October 3, 2022

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

PATHOLOGY
Details: Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Pathology section of the ACGME website.
Contact: Sarah Gluckstein
Deadline: August 1, 2022

PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
Details:
Additional information is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Preventive Medicine section of the ACGME website.
Contact: Sarah Gluckstein
Deadline: August 1, 2022


Ophthalmology-Specific Questions on the Resident Survey - Deadline Wednesday!

The 2022 ACGME Resident Survey ophthalmology-specific section re-deployment closes Wednesday, June 15.

To complete the survey, residents must use the Resident Survey link provided in the original May 25 notice and subsequent reminder. Programs can track survey completion and send reminders using the same tools on the "Surveys" tab in ADS that are used during the standard survey window. Reports will be posted in ADS approximately two weeks after the survey closes. Programs must have at least four respondents to access the report.

Email questions to Executive Director Kathleen Quinn-Leering.


Institutional Requirements Major Revision Advisory Group - Deadline Friday!

The Institutional Review Committee (IRC) seeks recommendations for members for a multi-stakeholder advisory group to inform the major revision of the ACGME Institutional Requirements. The IRC 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 IRC 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.


NEW! Special Advisory Committee Call for Nominations

The IRC is accepting nominations for a temporary advisory committee to review applications for accreditation of new Sponsoring Institution-based fellowship programs in health care administration, leadership, and management. The advisory committee is intended to augment the expertise of the IRC for the purpose of Sponsoring Institution-based fellowship accreditation. The advisory committee will be appointed from September 2022 to June 2024.

The IRC is soliciting nominations from health care executives, which include chief executive officers, chief quality officers, chief nursing officers, or chief medical information officers. The nomination request and form can be found here.

Email the nomination form and nominee's CV to irc@acgme.org by July 29, 2022.


NEW! Designation of New Preventive Medicine Specialties

At its recent meeting, the ACGME Board of Directors approved the request to designate aerospace medicine, occupational and environmental medicine, and public health and general preventive medicine as accredited specialties. This decision was made with the consideration of all comments received during the public review and comment period earlier this spring. These specialties were previously “areas of concentration” under the umbrella designation of preventive medicine.

Preventive medicine is no longer an accredited specialty, as all preventive medicine programs now fall under one of the three separate specialties. The Review Committee for Preventive Medicine will continue to have oversight over all programs in all three specialties as it does now.

Each specialty now has its own set of Program Requirements, Frequently Asked Questions, and Application Form, all of which will be posted soon in the Preventive Medicine section of the ACGME website. The three sets of Program Requirements were developed mainly by separating the requirements relevant to each specialty from the current version of the Program Requirements that contains all three areas of concentration in one document. No significant changes to the curriculum or ACGME Core Competencies were made.

As a result of the new specialty designations, programs in aerospace medicine and occupational and environmental medicine will be assigned new program numbers in ADS. Nothing else will change about how the programs operate or report information in ADS. Once the changes have been made in ADS, individuals will be able to use the ACGME public site to search for programs in aerospace medicine, occupational and environmental medicine, and public health and general preventive medicine (as opposed to the current search function requiring selecting “Preventive Medicine” and then a concentration from a sub-menu).

Programs affected by this change will receive more information in the coming weeks, including details about the assignment of new program numbers.

Email questions to Executive Director Kate Hatlak.


Feedback Sought for Major Revision of the Institutional Requirements

Every 10 years, Review Committees are required to review their requirements to determine necessary revisions. The goal of this major revision is to anticipate future considerations that will be relevant to the accreditation of Sponsoring Institutions and incorporate them into the Institutional Requirements.

The IRC seeks feedback on the current Requirements to help inform this revision. In addition to comments, the IRC will consider the information from the following sources:

Specific elements to consider when reviewing the current Institutional Requirements include:

  • Integration of GME and the clinical learning environment, including governance and senior administration relationships
  • Enhanced expectations for diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Enhanced expectations for systems-based efforts in well-being
  • Professionalism and managing conflicts of interest
  • Role of the Graduate Medical Education Committee in assessing institutional and program performance
  • Professionalization of the designated institutional official role and title
  • Institutional coordinator and GME office functions
  • Partnership between GME office and programs
  • Burden reduction
  • Recategorization of Core, Outcome, and Detail requirements
  • Process and outcomes measures

Email comments to irc@acgme.org by July 21, 2022.


Case Log System Update for Complex Family Planning

The Case Log System will be available in ADS for complex family planning programs this week. Fellows must log cases beginning July 1, 2022. Case Log instructions are posted on the Documents and Resources page of the Obstetrics and Gynecology section of the ACGME website. Program administrators are advised to review the instructions and teach fellows how to properly record their experiences in the Case Log System.

The instructions outline how programs can grant fellows access to the Case Log. Fellows not granted access by June 25, 2022 will receive an automatic notice with login information. Current second-year fellows should disregard this notice.

Email questions to OBGYN-RC@acgme.org.

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