April showers bring May flowers and here in Chicago we are ready to put the damp, cold weather in the rear-view mirror. But before the month is out, we also want to take a moment to say Thank You.
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we want to pause to recognize the hundreds of people who help make it possible for the organization to fulfill its mission to improve health care and population health by assessing and advancing the quality of resident and fellow physicians' education. While the ACGME staff is made up of nearly 300 dedicated employees based in Chicago and across the country conducting site visits, volunteers in numerous roles and functions donate their time, experience, knowledge, and perspectives to the work of the organization. They are physicians and non-physicians, experts in their field, and leaders in their communities. They, too, are committed to the ACGME’s mission, and without their efforts, we could not succeed in its pursuit.
In Academic Year 2017-2018, 448 individuals participated as members of the Review and Recognition Committees. Among other contributions, and with the support of ACGME staff members, these volunteers write and revise the specialty-specific Program Requirements and related materials, and annually review hundreds of pieces of information gathered on the more than 11,000 ACGME-accredited programs and 830 ACGME-accredited Sponsoring Institutions, to determine whether programs and institutions are in compliance with those Program Requirements. Additionally, Review Committee Chairs, resident/fellow members, and public members volunteer additional time annually as members of the ACGME’s Councils. These groups support the ACGME and Board of Directors by convening regularly to discuss and provide input and guidance on a variety of topics through the lens of their respective roles on their committees.
There were also 254 Milestones volunteers. These volunteers worked together to review and revise the original Milestones, a competency-based model to assess the knowledge, skills, and behavioral development throughout a specific graduate medical education program.
In addition to the Review and Recognition Committee and Milestones volunteers, 292 volunteers worked on other ACGME programs and initiatives, including Physician Well-Being, the Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Program, the Coordinator Advisory Group, task forces, committees, the Board of Directors, and more.
All told, ACGME volunteers gave an astounding 82,253 hours of their time last academic year, all toward the goal of continually improving graduate medical education, and by extension, the nation’s health.
The ACGME is grateful for the work of all of these volunteers, and their continued dedication to ensuring that ACGME-accredited institutions and programs are producing high-quality physicians to care for patients today and into the future.
Join us and volunteer!
Opportunities to contribute through committees, task forces, and working groups are always available and constantly changing. We announce these openings through various channels, including on our LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, so please follow us to stay up to date. If you do not already receive our weekly e-Communication announcements and are interested, e-mail ACGMECommunications@acgme.org.
To view available Milestones volunteer opportunities, visit the Engagement page of the Milestones section of the ACGME website.
Review and Recognition Committees annually solicit new members for various roles. To nominate yourself or a colleague for membership, visit the applicable specialty’s section of the website to confirm availability.