The ACGME for Residents and Fellows

The ACGME is a private, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that sets standards for US graduate medical education (residency and fellowship) programs and the institutions that sponsors them, and renders accreditation decisions based on compliance with these standards. Accreditation is achieved through a voluntary process of evaluation and review based on published accreditation standards. ACGME accreditation provides assurance that a Sponsoring Institution or program meets the quality standards (Institutional and Program Requirements) of the specialty or subspecialty practice(s) for which it prepares its graduates. ACGME accreditation is overseen by a Review Committee made up of volunteer specialty experts from the field that set accreditation standards and provide peer evaluation of Sponsoring Institutions and specialty and subspecialty residency and fellowship programs.

• Advancing Innovation in Residency Education (AIRE)
  The ACGME has initiated a new pilot program with the dual aims of 1) enabling the exploration of novel approaches and pathways in GME, and 2) enhancing the attainment of educational and clinical outcomes through innovative structure and processes in resident and fellowship education.

• Case Logs and Surveys
  The ACGME Data Collection Systems comprise the Accreditation Data System (ADS), which includes the Case Log System, and the Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys.

• Case Logs and Survey Technical Support
  Contact information for ADS support representatives can be found on this page for the Case Log System, ACGME Surveys, and for help by specialty.

• Common Program Requirements
  The ACGME Common Program Requirements are in place to ensure that ACGME-accredited programs follow a basic set of standards (requirements) in training and preparing resident and fellow physicians.

• Milestones
  As the ACGME began to move toward its current continuous accreditation model, specialty groups developed outcomes-based Milestones as a framework for determining resident and fellow performance within the six ACGME Core Competencies.
  • Milestones Guidebook for Residents and Fellows
  • Milestones Guidebook for Residents and Fellows Presentation
  • Milestones 2.0 Guide Sheet for Residents and Fellows

• Review and Comment
  The ACGME invites comments from the community of interest regarding the proposed requirements listed on this page as open for comment.

• Self-Study
  The ACGME self-study is an objective, comprehensive evaluation of the residency or fellowship program, with the goal of improving it.

• Single GME Accreditation System
  The transition to a single accreditation system allows graduates of allopathic and osteopathic US medical schools to complete their residency and/or fellowship education in ACGME-accredited programs and demonstrate achievement of common Milestones and competencies.

• Site Visit
  The accreditation process for programs and Sponsoring Institutions includes periodic on-site visits to assess compliance with the Program and Institutional Requirements.

Recognition is additional acknowledgment, supplemental to accreditation, for identified elements or categories of a Sponsoring Institution or program. Recognition is conferred through a voluntary process of evaluation and review based on published recognition standards. ACGME recognition is overseen by a Recognition Committee made up of volunteer experts and a representative of the public. Depending on the type of recognition, programs must be accredited by the ACGME, or sponsored by an institution accredited by the ACGME.

• Osteopathic Recognition
  Osteopathic Recognition is conferred upon any ACGME-accredited program providing requisite training in Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP).

In attending to its mission to improve health care and population health through accreditation, the ACGME dedicates research and resources to areas impacting graduate medical education such as the clinical learning environment and physician well-being.

• The Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Program
  The CLER Program is designed to provide US teaching hospitals, medical centers, health systems, and other clinical settings affiliated with ACGME-accredited Sponsoring Institutions with periodic feedback addressing six specific areas of focus.

• Physician Well-Being
  The ACGME is committed to addressing physician well-being for individuals and as it relates to the clinical learning environment.

• Sponsoring Institution 2025
  Sponsoring Institution 2025 (SI2025) is an 18-month project that will develop a future vision for accredited institutional sponsors of graduate medical education programs.

• Pursuing Excellence in Clinical Learning Environments
  Pursuing Excellence is a four-year initiative designed to promote transformative improvement within the clinical learning environments of ACGME-accredited Sponsoring Institutions in which resident and fellow physicians pursue their formal clinical training in a specialty or subspecialty.