NEW! Coalition for Physician Accountability Work Group Reports
The Coalition for Physician Accountability, of which the ACGME is a member, recently released the reports and recommendations of two work groups created to develop common recommendations addressing urgent issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic and physician education.
The Coalition's two most recent reports and recommendations are:
Maintaining Quality and Safety Standards Amid COVID-19
The Coalition's previous COVID-19-related statements, reports, and recommendations are available in the ACGME Newsroom.
The Coalition for Physician Accountability is a membership organization that engages in discussion and collaboration on matters of common relevance to improve the quality of health care. It was established to promote professional accountability by improving the quality, efficiency, and continuity of the education and assessment of physicians.
NEW! JGME Publishes Series of Articles on COVID-19 Online
JGME has a collection of published COVID-19 related articles that are now available on their website. These articles include research about remote e-work and distance learning, and an article by ACGME President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP.
ACGME Sponsoring Institution Idea Exchange
The ACGME has developed the Sponsoring Institution Idea Exchange on the Learn at ACGME platform to assist designated institutional officials (DIOs) and institutional coordinators as their Sponsoring Institutions respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to providing ACGME resources relevant to the pandemic, the Idea Exchange is a mechanism for Sponsoring Institutions to share ideas and practices with one another. Recently posted resources are related to supervision, emergency preparedness, infection protection, and competency assessment.
The ACGME is also looking for new approaches to resident/fellow orientation in 2020 to include in the Idea Exchange. DIOs and institutional coordinators are encouraged to consider sharing their own insights and approaches in this venue.
Email questions, comments, and submissions to SI.Idea@acgme.org.
Access the COVID-19 Web Section
Visit the COVID-19 section of the ACGME website for access to a range of materials, including ACGME Guidance Statements, Frequently Asked Questions, Letters to the Specialty Communities, institutional and well-being resources, and more.
Call for Sessions Now Open for 2021 Annual Educational Conference
During and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-being and safety of the graduate medical education community and the public is the ACGME's top priority. Right now, the ACGME is moving ahead with the 2021 Annual Educational Conference in Nashville as planned. Recognizing that the pandemic may continue to impact in-person events, the ACGME will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. Updated information, including any changes to format or timing, will be posted on the ACGME website, in the weekly e-Communication, and on Twitter and LinkedIn.
The Call for Sessions for the 2021 Annual Educational Conference is now open! Session proposals are being accepted for both the Educational Conference and the Coordinator Forum Pre-Conference.
Learn More and Submit a Proposal
Proposals Due: Friday, June 26, 2020 11:59 p.m. Central
Questions?
Coordinator Forum Pre-Conference: coordinatorforum@acgme.org
Annual Educational Conference: acgmeconference@acgme.org
NEW! Program Requirements and Recognition Requirements for Review and Comment
The following Program Requirements and Recognition Requirements and accompanying Impact Statements are posted for review and comment, here:
Diagnostic Radiology
Interventional Radiology
Neuroradiology
Nuclear Medicine
Comment Deadline: July 1, 2020
NEW! Webinars for Program Directors and Coordinators on ADS Changes
Update: Changes to the Accreditation Data System (ADS) and COVID-19 Pandemic Questions
The ACGME will conduct educational webinars to provide an overview of ADS changes and newly added questions to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on programs.
- Program Coordinators: Wednesday, June 3, 2020, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Central – Register here
- Program Directors: Thursday, June 4, 2020, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Central – Register here
Participants will learn about upcoming changes to the ADS Annual Update, including questions related to the new Common Program Requirements, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on programs’ clinical and didactic activities and the health of residents, fellows, and faculty members. These are identical presentations and participants should join the webinar appropriate to their role.
The webinars are designed to help program coordinators and program directors understand the rationale behind the ADS changes and the COVID-19 pandemic questions to better prepare for and effectively complete the 2020 Annual Update.
The webinars will be recorded and available in Learn at ACGME within a week of the live presentation.
Additional information about the ADS Annual Update is available in the ADS Help Center.
NEW! Remote Accreditation Site Visits
The ACGME is preparing to return to conducting accreditation site visits, but will be doing so via remote technology only at the present time. A small number of accreditation site visits for applications will be conducted remotely in June, with an expansion of remote accreditation site visits planned for the ensuing months. Interviews for these visits will be conducted through online video sessions using Zoom. The ACGME Field Activities staff will contact programs directly to collect blackout dates prior to scheduling a remote accreditation site visit. Once the visit is scheduled, the Accreditation Field Representative(s) who will conduct the remote visit will send a letter of instruction to the programs with more details for the day. Additional information on remote accreditation site visits as well as FAQs will be developed and shared in a future edition of this e-Communication.
Email any questions to fieldrepresentatives@acgme.org.
NEW! Distance Learning News
Developing Faculty Competencies in Assessment Mini-Course
Developed based on the ACGME’s Developing Faculty Competencies in Assessment course, the Developing Faculty Competencies in Assessment Mini-Course is a series of two online mini-courses that provides an introduction to assessment and the Milestones.
CME Information
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The ACGME designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credits commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
2020 ACGME Annual Educational Conference Sessions Available
Log in to Learn at ACGME to access sessions from the 2020 ACGME Annual Educational Conference:
Confronting the Opioid Crisis: Preparing the GME Community to Meet the Challenge
John Combes, MD, Wilson Compton, MD, MPE, Diana Coffa, MD, and Travis Rieder, PhD, describe the scourge of prescription opioid addiction, including the difficulties of obtaining appropriate treatment, the current understanding of the science of addiction, and how one primary care program is preparing residents to confront the challenge.
Designing a Comprehensive Well-Being Program: Mental Health, Resilience, and System Change
Saadia Akhtar, MD, Jonathan Ripp, MD, MPH, Frank Basloe, and I. Michael Leitman, MD, discuss an approach to establishing a comprehensive GME well-being program that also meets the ACGME Common Program Requirements in Section IV.
Diversity and Inclusion Training to Promote Wellness in Residency Programs
Breanne Jaqua, DO, MPH, Donna Boucher, MD, Judy-April Oparaji, MD, RDN, CSP, William McDade, MD, PhD, and Sunny Nakae, MSW, PhD review statistics regarding racial diversity in residencies, provide tools for navigating difficult conversations, and explore the intersection of diversity and well-being.
ACGME Announces Diversity and Inclusion Award for 2021
The ACGME is proud to announce the Diversity and Inclusion Award, a new award to support efforts to achieve diversity and inclusion in graduate medical education (GME).
The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced data showing that underrepresented minorities are the victims of systemic inequality. Eliminating disparities in health care requires a commitment from all-even, and especially, during times of crisis. This annual award will highlight the most innovative and exemplary initiatives that drive diversity in GME.
Read more about the award, including instructions for submitting a nomination
Nominations are due Friday, July 17, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. Central.
New Milestones Implementation Guide Available
The Guidebook for Implementing and Changing Assessment in the Milestones Era is now available on the Milestones Resources page. Key topics include application of change management to Milestones and assessment, what to expect post-implementation, and examples of action process models.
Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.
NEW! Sponsoring Institution or Program Name Changes and Sponsorship Transfers
Requests to change the name of a Sponsoring Institution or residency/fellowship program, or to transfer the sponsorship of a program between Sponsoring Institutions, should be directed to the Institutional Accreditation team at irc@acgme.org.
Ophthalmology: Case Log Update
CPT Code 0402T (corneal cross-linking) and CPT Code 66183 (shunting/drainage device without extraocular reservoir) are now being tracked in the Case Log System. CPT Code 0402T is mapped to the minimum category of Pterygium/Conjunctival and Other Cornea. CPT Code 66183 is mapped to the minimum category of Glaucoma–Filtering/Shunting Procedures.
These changes are retroactive and cases previously logged using CPT Code 0402T or 66183 will now count towards meeting their respective minimum.
Email questions to Associate Executive Director Tina Espina.
Surgery: Pediatric Surgery Case Minimums Updated
The Review Committee has revised the case minimum requirements for Pediatric Surgery effective for graduates academic year 2020-2021. The defined category minimum numbers and mappings for pediatric surgery are posted under Case Log Information on the Documents and Resources page in the Surgery section of the ACGME website.
ACGME Seeks Resident Members
The following Review Committees are seeking their next resident member for terms beginning July 1, 2021. The Review Committee's selected nominee will be presented for approval by the ACGME Board of Directors at its September 2020 meeting. The new resident member's term will be from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023.
Pathology
Details: The resident member must be currently enrolled in an ACGME-accredited pathology program when appointed and may not serve more than one year beyond completion of the program. Details and nomination instructions available upon request.
Contact: Katherine McCue
Deadline: July 31, 2020
Preventive Medicine
Details: The resident member must be currently enrolled in an ACGME-accredited preventive medicine program when appointed and may not serve more than one year beyond completion of the program. Details and nomination instructions available upon request.
Contact: Katherine McCue
Deadline: July 31, 2020
NEW! ACGME Seeks Public Members
The following Review Committees are seeking their next public member for terms beginning July 1, 2021. The Review Committee's selected nominee will be presented for approval by the ACGME Board of Directors at its September 2020 meeting. The new public member's six-year term will be from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2027.
New! Anesthesiology
Details: Contact a member of the Review Committee staff.
Contact: Cheryl Gross
Deadline: July 1, 2020
New! Radiation Oncology
Details: Contact a member of the Review Committee staff.
Contact: Cheryl Gross
Deadline:July 1, 2020