NEW! Delay in Opening Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys
In consideration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ACGME will delay the opening of its annual Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys for the 2020-2021 academic year. The first administration window was scheduled to open Monday, January 18 followed by two more standard five-week windows later in the academic year.
For Academic Year 2020-2021, there will be one reporting window for all programs to participate in the resident/fellow and faculty surveys and that window will be extended from five to eight weeks. The ACGME expects to open the new window in early February, providing time for Sponsoring Institutions and programs to adjust to this change. This will also allow programs to receive their survey reports in a more timely manner. The ACGME will continue to create reports when there is a large enough response rate (70 percent) from Sponsoring Institutions and programs to protect the confidentiality of survey participants.
While making this accommodation for Resident/Fellow and Faculty Survey participation, the ACGME reminds all programs that this year’s surveys are mandatory and must be completed by the close of the new eight-week window.
An announcement of the survey opening date will be made in next week’s e-Communication.
Email ADS@acgme.org with questions.
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.
Premium Registration Available!
The 2021 Annual Educational Conference is less than two months away! The conference theme, Meaning in Medicine: Mastering the Moment, highlights how the GME community is rising to meet the challenge of a truly unprecedented time for the health of the world. Attendees will spend three days engaging with more than 250 speakers presenting more than 100 thought-provoking sessions, including half day pre-conferences and ACGME Consultations with staff experts. View the full list of networking events.
Take advantage of the Premium registration option that gives attendees access to the conference materials and sessions for three months following the conference! 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!
Exhibitor, Sponsor, and Job Recruiter Registration Open
Learn More about Exhibits and Sponsorships
Reserve a Booth or Sponsorship
Apply by January 22, 2021
Email questions to exhibitor@acgme.org.
NEW! CLER Visit Blackout Weeks Reporting Window Open
The window for submitting CLER visit blackout weeks is open through January 26, 2021. Sponsoring Institutions can submit up to four blackout weeks during this period.
2021 Dates for Entering Blackout Weeks (four weeks permitted per window)
- January 1-26: Submit requests for April-June
- April 1-26: Submit requests for July-September
- July 1-26: Submit requests for October-December
CLER blackout weeks are intended to block scheduling of CLER visits for dates when institutional leaders and staff members are unavailable. The DIO and CEO of the site being visited must be available to remotely participate in an initial and exit meeting for the CLER visit.
NOTE: Sponsoring Institutions with a status of Initial Accreditation will not have a CLER visit until their status is changed to Continued Accreditation, and do not need to enter blackout requests.
In 2021, the CLER Program will also avoid scheduling visits on these dates:
- February 22-26
- June 21-25
- June 28-July 2
- December 20-24
- January 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- May 31 (Memorial Day)
- July 5 (Independence Day observed)
- September 6 (Labor Day)
- November 25-26 (Thanksgiving)
To request blackout weeks, log into ADS and click on "Blackout Weeks" under "CLER" in the right-hand navigation menu. The CLER Program will make every effort to comply with requests but cannot guarantee visits will not be scheduled during requested blackout dates.
CLER blackout week requests for April 2021 to June 2021
must be submitted by January 26, 2021.
Email questions to CLER@acgme.org.
NEW! AWARE Podcast: Benefits and Barriers of Psychological First Aid in Residency Training
ACGME Senior Scholar for Well-Being Dr. Stuart Slavin talks with a group of residents about how COVID-19 has impacted their well-being. They discuss how the practices of Psychological First Aid, an approach developed by a group of international non-profits to train people to help others experiencing trauma, has the potential to equip residents with strategies for managing the many challenges faced by their community members in crisis.
Search “ACGME AWARE” on Spotify or RadioPublic to find this podcast episode. It is also available in Learn at ACGME.
Subspecialty Proposals
As part of the ongoing effort to encourage the participation of the graduate medical education community and the public in the process of reviewing potential new areas for accreditation, the ACGME offers a 45-day comment period to the community of interest regarding proposed new specialties and subspecialties.
The following proposed subspecialties, and accompanying proposals, are available for review here.
Comment Deadline: January 15, 2021 - Deadline Friday!
Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology
Milestones Mid-Year Reporting Open Until January 14 - Due Thursday!
The reporting window will be open 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.
REMINDER! Update Contacts in ADS
Review information in ADS to ensure the appropriate individuals in your institution and/or program receive these e-Communication messages. This includes removing contact information for those no longer working in the institution/program (e.g., those who have retired).
Verify that email addresses for the designated institutional official, institutional coordinator, program director, and program coordinator(s) are current in ADS.
Add ADS@acgme.org and ACGMECommunications@acgme.org to your address book or safe sender list so important notifications, including Annual Update or Resident and Faculty Survey announcements, as well as these e-Communication messages are not marked as spam or junk by Internet service providers (ISPs). Messages may need to be opened and marked as "not spam."
Contact the local (e.g., institution's) ISP or spam filter application support for assistance
Program Requirements and Recognition Requirements for Review and Comment
The following Program Requirements and Recognition Requirements and accompanying Impact Statements posted for review and comment, here:
Comment Deadline: January 20, 2021 - Deadline Approaching!
Allergy and Immunology
Neurology
Psychiatry
Comment Deadline: February 3, 2021
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! Review Committee News and Notices: Osteopathic Recognition
Osteopathic Recognition Pre-Conference
The ACGME, in partnership with the Assembly of Osteopathic Graduate Medical Educators (AOGME), will host an Osteopathic Recognition Pre-Conference during the ACGME Annual Educational Conference on Wednesday, February 24, 2021.
This live virtual course will provide attendees with the opportunity to hear and learn directly from Directors of Osteopathic Education, osteopathic faculty members, and designated osteopathic residents in programs with ACGME Osteopathic Recognition. Registration for this pre-conference is included in conference registration.
Review the Osteopathic Recognition Pre-Conference Agenda
Register for the Conference
Email questions to singlegme@acgme.org.
Osteopathic Recognition FAQ Document Updated
The Committee added new FAQs on the following topics:
- Evaluation by the Director of Osteopathic Education
- Evaluation through direct observation and simulated patients
- Utilization of patient encounter evaluations
- Summative evaluation of designated osteopathic residents/fellows
- Evaluation of osteopathic faculty members
The document is accessible from the Osteopathic Recognition page of the ACGME website.
Email questions to Executive Director Tiffany Moss.
NEW! Review Committee News / Notices: Orthopaedic Surgery
A "Hand Surgery Minimums" report is available, reflecting requirements determined by the Review Committees for Orthopaedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery, and Surgery. The report is accessible in ADS under Case Log Reports. The Review Committees only review primary credit procedures performed in all roles.
Review Committee News / Notices: Ophthalmology
The Review Committee will host a webinar for program directors and coordinators Monday, January 25. Topics include the revised Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Ophthalmology effective July 1, 2021, annual program reviews in the time of COVID-19, and recent activities of the Committee and the ACGME. Attendees should bring questions as ample time will be provided for discussion Committee members. The webinar will be recorded and available in Learn at ACGME within a week of the live presentation.
Register Now
Monday, January 25, 2021
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Central
The Review Committee will also host virtual one-on-one sessions for program directors and coordinators Thursday, January 28, 2021 from 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Central.
Registration for one-on-one sessions is due Friday, January 15, 2021. Sessions are 15 minutes and may address questions about requirements, program citations/areas for improvement, and the ACGME accreditation process. Assigned times will be sent out with a Zoom link and password after the registration deadline.
To register, email the program name, program number (10 digits), names and email addresses of all attendees and topic(s) to ebreibartwhite@acgme.org.