NEW! ACGME Statement Honoring the Sacrifices of Frontline Caregivers
The ACGME recognizes and honors the extraordinary courage and commitment of the residents, fellows, faculty physicians, and other health care professionals working on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic to care for Americans in need, despite the toll it takes on their personal well-being.
Read the full statement in the ACGME Newsroom
NEW! Clarifications and Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs are being developed in response to questions and requests for clarification the ACGME has received as it has communicated its response to the current pandemic crisis.
ADS/SURVEYS
Q: What is the status of the 2020 Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys and what are the ACGME’s expectations regarding these?
A: As announced in the March 18, 2020 Letter to the Community, the Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys are still available but completion is not required for the remainder of this academic year. Surveys will remain available to scheduled participants until the extended deadline of June 26, 2020, but participation is optional.
For programs that completed reporting before March 15, 2020 (the closing date for window 2), and those that choose to continue to participate, the ACGME will create program-specific reports when there is a large enough response from a program to protect the confidentiality of the participants. These reports will be delayed until the survey closes and the responses can then be analyzed.
Q: If the Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys are suspended, why do programs still see a survey due date in the Accreditation Data System (ADS)? Should programs be concerned that non-completion of the surveys will lead to a citation for the program?
A: No. Completion of the Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys during the pandemic is OPTIONAL. Programs in survey window 3 (March 9 through the now extended date of June 26, 2020) will NOT receive a citation for non-completion of surveys. Programs that have at least a 70 percent survey completion rate will receive the results of their surveys as in prior years.
The noted date of June 26, 2020 is the date when surveys will no longer be available for completion. June 26, 2020 is NOT a deadline for programs to comply.
MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES/UNFILLED RESIDENCY POSITIONS
Q: Can the ACGME identify unfilled residency/fellowship positions for medical school graduates seeking placement during the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: No. The ACGME does not identify open residency/fellowship positions for medical school graduates. Graduates seeking positions during the pandemic should contact the National Resident Matching Program for additional information.
During a rapid institutional closure, the ACGME may assist in identifying institutions with capacity to accept displaced residents/fellows from the closing institution. The ACGME communicates those results to the designated institutional official and/or program director of the closing institution to assist them in meeting the ACGME requirement to transfer their residents/fellows to other programs to complete their education and training.
MILESTONES
Q: Are programs required to submit Milestones evaluations for the end of the 2019-2020 academic year?
A: No. Reporting of Milestones in the second window of the 2019-2020 academic year is optional for all residents/fellows.
Q: Are programs required to complete final Milestones evaluations for residents/fellows in their final year of the educational program?
A: Yes. Milestone evaluations, using assessment data available, must be completed for residents/fellows in the final year of the educational program, even if the Milestones are not reported to the ACGME.
The ACGME understands the many difficulties of Milestones evaluations during the pandemic. If the program cannot complete Milestone evaluations scheduled for May 2020, programs should review and assess whether the Milestone evaluations completed during the November 2019 window are sufficient to serve as a surrogate for the May 2020 evaluation.
Refer to the Residency or Fellowship Program Directors’ Guide to the Common Program Requirements with questions regarding eligibility for specialty or subspecialty board certification.
NEW! JGME News
The April 2020 issue of JGME has been published online.
The issue features a wealth of content, much of it open access, with articles on topics such as medical education myths, EPAs, faculty development, and well-being. Access to all JGME content is available to program directors and designated institutional officials online through ACGME’s Accreditation Data System (ADS). JGME is working to get COVID-19 content available quickly. These articles will be featured on the JGME homepage in the coming month.
NEW! Milestones News
Updated Milestones Available
The Milestones and Supplemental Guides for the following specialties and subspecialties are now available on their specialty pages of the ACGME website. These documents were created by members of the respective communities.
Effective July 1, 2020
Clinical Biochemical Genetics Milestones and Supplemental Guide
Complex General Surgical Oncology Milestones and Supplemental Guide
Dermatology Milestones and Supplemental Guide
Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Milestones and Supplemental Guide
Urology Milestones and Supplemental Guide
Spring Reporting: April 20–June 26, 2020
Reporting of Milestones in the second window of this 2019-2020 academic year is optional for all residents/fellows who are not in their final year of education.
However, Milestone evaluations, using assessment data available, must be completed for residents/fellows in their final year of education, even if the Milestones are not reported to the ACGME. More information can be found here.
All Specialties Moving to Milestones 2.0 Effective July 1, 2020:
Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.