NEW! The ACGME Urges Presidential Nominees to Commit to Accelerating PPE Production
In response to the recent resurgence of COVID-19, the ACGME sent a letter to both presidential nominees, urging them to commit to accelerating the production of PPE to protect frontline health care workers, who include many members of the graduate medical education community.
Read More in the ACGME Newsroom
Coming Soon: CLER COVID-19 Site Visits
For the past several months, the CLER Program has been developing a special site visit to identify and understand areas where the experience with COVID-19 may have a sustained impact on the clinical learning environment. The goal is to inform executive clinical learning environment and graduate medical education (GME) leaders as they examine and adapt their systems to optimize learning and patient care. The visits will also provide the ACGME with timely information on new needs of Sponsoring Institutions and their clinical learning environments resulting from these adaptations. On October 19, 2020 the CLER team will begin field testing the visits in preparation for launch in January 2021. Importantly, the CLER Program will avoid reaching out to any Sponsoring Institution while it has "Emergency Category" status.
A brief overview of this new CLER site visit was presented as part of the ACGME's weekly national DIO calls. A webinar with more detail is being planned for late November/early December 2020. Continue to read ACGME communications for details.
For information on scheduling notices and blackout weeks, email CLER@acgme.org.
Access the ACGME's COVID-19 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.
COMING SOON! DIO/Program Director Survey on Parental, Medical, and Caregiver Leave
The ACGME Board of Directors recently reviewed recommendations from the Parental Leave Task Force appointed by the Board in September 2019. The ACGME is now considering revisions to its Requirements consistent with the Task Force’s recommendations and reflecting recent changes in certifying board policies. These new certifying board policies allow six weeks of parental, medical, and caregiver leave without extending education and training for purposes of board eligibility, whether through a separate benefit, flexible use of vacation/sick time (averaging/banking), or other mechanisms.
In the next week, a survey in the Accreditation Data System (ADS) will be issued to DIOs and program directors to capture the current status of institutional and program policies on these types of leave, and their impact on Sponsoring Institutions, and programs, and participating sites.
DIOs and program directors will receive a separate email when the survey opens; the survey will close 14 days after that email. Responses to this survey will inform the deliberations on parental, medical, and caregiver leave.
NEW! 2021 ACGME Award Recipients
The ACGME is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 ACGME Awards. The awardees will be formally recognized during the 2021 Annual Educational Conference. Congratulations to all of these outstanding honorees!
John C. Gienapp Award (awarded to a notable individual for exemplary contributions to GME)
Henry J. Schultz, MD, MACP; Mayo Clinic; Rochester, Minnesota
Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award (awarded to designated institutional officials)
Deborah M. DeMarco, MD, FACP; University of Massachusetts Medical School; Worcester, Massachusetts; Rheumatology
Meghan Walsh, MD, MPH; Hennepin Health System; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Internal Medicine
Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award (awarded to program directors)
David K. Barnes, MD, FACEP; University of California Davis Health; Sacramento, California; Emergency Medicine
Wilma Bergfeld, MD; Cleveland Clinic; Cleveland, Ohio; Dermatopathology
Steven R. Brown, MD, FAAFP; University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix Family Medicine Residency; Phoenix, Arizona; Family Medicine
Julie B. McCausland, MD, MS, FACEP; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Transitional Year
John F. McConville, MD; The University of Chicago; Chicago, Illinois; Internal Medicine
Ann C. Schwartz, MD; Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia; Psychiatry
Daniel I. Steinberg; MD, SFHM, FACP; Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York, New York; Internal Medicine
Joanne Valeriano-Marcet, MD; University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine; Tampa, Florida; Rheumatology
David A. Wininger, MD, FACP; The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center; Columbus; Ohio; Internal Medicine
Stacey Quintero Wolfe, MD, FAANS; Wake Forest Baptist Health; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Neurological Surgery
David C. Leach Award (awarded to residents, fellows, or resident/fellow teams)
Heather K. Buxton, MSEd, MD; Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, Oregon; Psychiatry
Thomas R. Greenwood, DO; Central Washington Family Medicine Residency; Yakima, Washington; Family Medicine
Team Members: Shpetim Gina; Joshua Johnson, DO
Guenola Hunt, MD, LT MC USN; National Capital Consortium; Bethesda, Maryland; Internal Medicine
Team Members: Melanie Wiseman, MD; Jeffery Gray, MD; Paul Happel, MD; Kimberly Fabyan, MD; Brian Neubauer, MD; Erika Walker, MD; Adam Barelski, MD; Andrew Wieher, RN-BSN; Alainna Crotty, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, NE-BC
Amanda Lezanski-Gujda, DO; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center; Bethesda, Maryland; Dermatology
Matthew Robert Martin, MD; Saint Joseph Hospital Family Medicine Residency; Denver, Colorado; Family Medicine
Bryce Edward Montané, MD; Cleveland Clinic; Cleveland, Ohio; Internal Medicine
Team Members: Omar Gutierrez, MD; David Savage, MD, PhD; Joseph Sleiman, MD
GME Institutional Coordinator Excellence Award
Lowell Virginia (Jennie) Craft, MPPM, C-TAGME; University of Alabama Hospital – Birmingham; Birmingham, Alabama
Debra L. Dooley GME Program Coordinator Excellence Award
Sharon M. Ashley; Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia; Emergency Medicine
Adam Finney; University of Colorado School of Medicine; Aurora, Colorado; Child Neurology
Dawn M. Fountain; University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita; Wichita, Kansas; Surgery
Jodi Leonard, C-TAGME; Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, Oregon; Pediatrics
Debra K. Stevens; The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University/Vidant Medical Center; Greenville, North Carolina; Internal Medicine
Jennifer L. Wilson, BA. C-TAGME; University of Vermont Medical Center; Milton, Vermont; Family Medicine
NEW! Coordinator Timelines Available
The ACGME's Coordinator Advisory Group developed three timelines that summarize the types of tasks, events, and deadlines coordinators manage in a typical academic year. The timelines are designed to help new and veteran coordinators organize and prioritize their daily, weekly, and monthly projects.
The three customizable versions (for residency, fellowship, and institutional coordinators) can be found on the Additional Resources page under the Program Directors and Coordinators tab on the ACGME website.
The Advisory Group thanks the many coordinators who have contributed decades of collective knowledge and experience that aided in the creation of these materials.
Email feedback, suggestions, or questions about the timelines to coordadvgroup@acgme.org.
Milestones 2.0 Volunteers Needed
The ACGME is assembling Work Groups to review the current Milestones and determine what, if any, changes need to be made, by specialty. Members of the GME community are invited to serve on these Work Groups.
Nominees must be proficient in one or more of the Competencies and be familiar with the Milestones and need not be physicians. Work Group members will be selected based on multiple criteria, including level of expertise, specialty and regional diversity, and need.
Deadline: November 8, 2020
Emergency Medical Services
Medical Toxicology
Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine
Milestones Mid-Year Reporting Opens October 26
The reporting window will be open Monday, October 26, 2020 through Thursday, January 14, 2021. Milestones assessments can be submitted via the ACGME's Accreditation Data System (ADS) at any point during this time. A list of specialties that have transitioned to Milestones 2.0 can be found on the Milestones page.
For technical assistance, email ADS@acgme.org.
For content questions, email milestones@acgme.org.
Milestones Guidebook for Residents and Fellows
An updated Milestones Guidebook for Residents and Fellows, as well as an accompanying presentation and Milestones 2.0 Guide Sheet for Residents and Fellows, are now available. These resources were written by residents and fellows for residents and fellows, and are available on the ACGME Residents and Fellows page. They are designed to facilitate discussions about the Milestones, assessment, and feedback during GME.
Participate in Milestones 2.0 Focus Group for Quality Assurance
The ACGME has established a quality assurance program as a part of the Milestones 2.0 implementation process and is looking for 20 volunteers in each of the following specialties and subspecialties to participate in this process:
Allergy and Immunology
Cardiovascular Disease
Clinical Biochemical Genetics
Complex General Surgical Oncology
Dermatology
Family Medicine
Interventional Radiology – Independent
Interventional Radiology – Integrated
Laboratory Genetics and Genomics
Medical Genetics and Genomics
Ophthalmology
Radiology – Diagnostic
Sleep Medicine
Surgery
Urology
Volunteers should be actively involved in program leadership or a member of the Clinical Competency Committee. Over the next few years, the ACGME will collect feedback about the new Milestones through a combination of focus groups and surveys. Focus groups will be held at annual program director meetings, and surveys will be completed electronically or by phone. Surveys will be brief and should take less than five minutes to complete.
Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.
NEW! Conference Registration is Open!
Join the ACGME for the 2021 Annual Educational Conference taking place virtually February 24-26, 2021. The conference theme, Meaning in Medicine: Mastering the Moment, highlights how the graduate medical education (GME) community is rising to meet the challenge of a truly unprecedented time for the health of the world. At the ACGME’s biggest learning and networking event, attendees will spend three days uniting with new and old colleagues, discovering and exchanging ideas, and discussing academic medicine’s biggest challenges and greatest achievements.
Engage with more than 250 speakers presenting more than 100 thought-provoking sessions, including half-day pre-conferences. Topics include: ACGME accreditation and initiatives; well-being; innovations in the clinical learning environment; diversity, equity, and inclusion; faculty and professional development; COVID-19; crisis management; and many others.
View the full conference schedule and learn more about #ACGME2021!
Exhibitor, Sponsor, and Job Recruiter Registration Open
Apply today for virtual booth space in the Exhibit Hall, or for one of several exciting sponsorship opportunities at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference February 24-26, 2021. The ACGME is also offering a space for institutions to post open positions in the Career Center. Recruiters can post up to 10 job postings, which will be uploaded into a searchable database that attendees can access up to three months after the conference.
Learn More about Exhibits and Sponsorships
Reserve a Booth or Sponsorship
Apply by January 22, 2021
Email questions to exhibitor@acgme.org.
Review Committee News and Notices: Allergy and Immunology
The Review Committee will host an educational webinar for program directors, coordinators, and faculty members on Monday, November 2 from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Central.
Participants will learn about:
- FTE support program requirements for program directors, core faculty members and coordinators
- Recommendations for managing programs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of the ACGME during the pandemic
- Understanding the allergy and immunology procedure logs
- Update on Milestones 2.0
The webinar will be recorded and available in Learn at ACGME within a week of the live presentation.
Review Committee News and Notices: Dermatology
An “Update to Association of Professors of Dermatology 2020” has been added to the Documents and Resources page in the Dermatology section of the ACGME website.
Email questions to eanthony@acgme.org.
Review Committee News and Notices: Radiology - Required Procedure Counts in Interventional Radiology Update
Currently in interventional radiology, one procedure per patient encounter is allowed to count toward the 1,000 required procedures in interventional radiology (PR IV.B.1.b).(2).(f).(i)). At its recent meeting, the Review Committee determined there are scenarios when exceptions to this interpretation are acceptable, and it will adopt the following modification:
- Updated Rule: Residents may count two unrelated procedures during the same patient encounter.
- Example 1: The resident places a gastrostomy-tube and an IVC filter during a single patient encounter. In this scenario, the resident can count both the G-tube and the inferior vena cava filter as two separate procedures on the same patient.
- Example 2: The resident performs an aortogram, selective angiogram, super selective angiogram, angioplasty, and stent placement and a liver biopsy during a single patient encounter. The most complex or important vascular procedure and the liver biopsy are eligible to be counted separately.
- Logging: Residents must enter both procedures into the ACGME Case Logs separately, as two independent entries, with the same patient data and same date of service.
- Limits: No more than two procedures may be counted per patient encounter.
Review Committee News and Notices: Radiology - New Case Log Model Coming Soon
A new Case Log model for diagnostic and interventional radiology is being developed. The new format will allow for better tracking of cases, as well as opportunities to track procedures and CPT codes not currently required. The release is planned for early January 2021.
More information and tutorials will be coming soon.
Review Committee News and Notices: Radiology - ESIR Application Guidelines Updated
Updates for early specialization in interventional radiology (ESIR) require a more specific description of the ESIR resident selection process. The guidelines can be found on the Documents and Resources page of the Radiology section of the ACGME website.
Review Committee News and Notices: Urology
There are several updates to the Case Log System for urology residents.
ACGME Case Log information now reflects the new urology minimums for the index categories. These new minimums will be used beginning with the 2021 graduates. A document with these updates is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Urology section of the ACGME website.
Additionally, residents should now record the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion as part of a prostate biopsy. When MRI fusion is used, residents should choose the version of CPT code 55700 that indicates “TRUS/prostate biopsy with fusion.” Fusion biopsy numbers will be tracked, but there is not a set minimum.
Soon, robotic cases will be recorded by checking a "Robotic" checkbox on the individual CPT code rather than the case entry page, which will give residents credit towards the robotic index category minimum. This change will improve the accuracy of the resident robotic experience documented in the Case Log System. The “Logging Robotic Procedures” section has been updated to reflect this change.
Email questions to Executive Director Kathleen Quinn-Leering.
Career Opportunities
The ACGME currently has the following open positions:
Executive Director, Surgical Accreditation
Medical Writer, CLER
Payroll and HR Coordinator
Click on the position linked above for details and to complete an application.