NEW! Updated Away Rotation Recommendations for the 2021-2022 Academic Year
The Coalition for Physician Accountability released updated recommendations on away rotations for the 2021-2022 academic year as the pandemic persists. The new January 25 recommendations supplement those released in May 2020. The ACGME is a member of the Coalition, which is comprised of national medical education organizations.
The Coalition wants to make clear through its guiding principles that “[l]earners add value and contribute to patient care in the clinical learning environment; therefore, we advocate that they be given the opportunity to serve in a manner that promotes continuity of their education while safely meeting the needs of patients and the health care delivery system."
Read more in the ACGME Newsroom
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, institutional and well-being resources, and more.
Virtual Conference Platform Sneak Peek!
Click here to tour the Conference's virtual platform!
Standard registration closes February 17. Attendees must pre-register to access the conference platform as soon as it opens on February 24. While the Premium registration rate will still be available during and after the conference, those who register during or after the conference may have delayed access to the platform.
Learn more about conference registration and pricing. Current registrants can switch to Premium access by emailing registration@acgme.org.
View the full conference schedule and learn more about #ACGME2021!
2022 ACGME Awards Nominations Open
Now accepting nominations for the 2022 ACGME Awards!
The ACGME recognizes notable designated institutional officials, program directors, residents and fellows, and institutional and program coordinators for their outstanding work and contributions to graduate medical education through its Awards Program.
Nomination materials are available in the Awards section of the ACGME website.
The deadline for nominations is March 24, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. Central.
NEW! Virtual Leadership Skills Training Program for Chief Residents
As COVID-19 continues to curtail in-person course participation, preparation is underway to deliver this valuable program virtually. Watch for more information about program details and registration through the e-Communication and the ACGME website. Email questions to Ann Riley.
UPDATED! Direct Observation of Clinical Care (DOCC) App 2.0 Now Available
The newly released DOCC 2.0 includes an expanded and more secure program interface that replaces the demo version to include the ability to:
- batch upload a program’s residents, fellows, and faculty members into the app as a closed, secure group
- export reports in CSV, Excel and JSON formats for easier importation into residency management systems and/or local databases
- use a separate evaluation of the level of supervision for each type of framework assessed by faculty observer
Download DOCC from the App Store for iPhone and Google Play for Android. Sponsoring Institutions and programs interested in setting up the DOCC app locally are advised to work with their IT teams to download the DOCC package, which is available in the app and includes the system specifications needed to support the app, as well as instructions for implementation.
For details on integrating DOCC into a residency management system and/or to obtain license codes, email de@acgme.org.
Review and Comment Available on Milestones 2.0
New drafts of the Milestones listed below are available for Review and Comment. The Milestones reporting data, along with other survey results and comments, informed the changes. The Work Groups also created Supplemental Guides to enhance understanding of the Milestones.
Deadline: Sunday February 14, 2021
Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology
Spinal Cord Injury Medicine
Vascular Surgery
Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.
Updated Milestones Available
Updated versions of Milestones are now available for the programs below. Programs will officially start using the new milestones July 2021. A Supplemental Guide has also be created as a companion tool for most specialties and is available in both a Word and PDF format on the Specialty Milestones page.
Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine
Chemical Pathology
Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Critical Care Medicine
Cytopathology
Forensic Pathology
Gastroenterology
Hematopathology
Internal Medicine
Medical Microbiology
Neurology
Neuropathology
Pediatric Pathology
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Preventive Medicine – Aerospace Medicine
Preventive Medicine – Occupational Medicine
Pulmonary Critical Care
Pulmonary Disease
Rheumatology
Selective Pathology
Thoracic Surgery – Independent
Thoracic Surgery – Integrated
Transplant Hepatology
Email milestones@acgme.org with any questions.
Program and Recognition Requirements for Review and Comment
The following Program and Recognition Requirements and accompanying Impact Statements are posted for review and comment, here:
Comment Deadline: February 3, 2021 - Deadline Wednesday!
Abdominal Radiology
Craniofacial Plastic Surgery
Musculoskeletal Radiology
Neuroendovascular Intervention (proposed name change for Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology)
Neurocritical Care
Nuclear Radiology
Pediatric Radiology
Plastic Surgery
NEW! Recognition News / Notices: Dermatology
The Micrographic Surgery and Dermatological Oncology FAQs have been updated. The document is available on the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page in the Dermatology section of the ACGME website.
NEW! Review Committee News / Notices: Internal Medicine
The Journal for Graduate Medical Education article "Internal Medicine 2035: Preparing the Future Generation of Internists" is now available on the Documents and Resources page in the Internal Medicine section of the ACGME website.
Review Committee News / Notices: Radiation Oncology
Case Log Reminders: Required Minimums
The following changes to the required case log minimums are now reflected in the Case Log System:
- Brachytherapy – Interstitial: minimum of seven procedures (previously five)
- Unsealed Sources: minimum of eight procedures (previously six)
The following new requirements related to the required Brachytherapy - Intracavitary procedures (minimum of 15) will be reflected in a future update to the Case Log System:
- A minimum of five must be tandem-based insertions for at least two patients
- No more than five should be cylinder insertions
This future update will allow residents to select either tandem-based insertion or cylinder insertion for Brachytherapy - Intracavitary procedures. In the meantime, residents should specify this information in the comments field.
The previous requirement limiting the maximum number of patients treated for External Beam Radiation Therapy to 250 patients per year has been changed to a maximum of 350 simulations per year.
The new requirements went into effect on July 1, 2020; however, due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on graduates’ ability to complete all clinical procedures, no citations will be issued on the new requirements until after June 2022. Residents graduating during academic year 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 will be expected to meet the previous minimums (5 Brachytherapy – Interstitial, 6 Unsealed Sources, and no differentiation of Brachytherapy - Intracavitary procedures).
Case Log Reminders: Recommended Minimums
Last year, the Review Committee established recommended minimums for nine disease sites within the External Beam Radiation Therapy category. These minimums are outlined on Page 6 of the FAQs for the ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Radiation Oncology, effective July 1, 2020.
Direct questions to Review Committee staff members, whose contact information can be found on the specialty page.
NEW! Review Committee News / Notices: Radiology
The The Review Committee is now accepting applications from programs seeking to add a fundamental clinical skills of medicine year. The Committee will consider applications for 60-month diagnostic radiology programs and 72-month interventional radiology-integrated programs. All programs in good accreditation standing are eligible to apply.
Applications must be submitted by March 5, 2021 to be considered at the April 22-24, 2021 meeting. Contact Jenny Campbell or Bianca Andino to request the application.