New Opening Date for All Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys
As reported in last week's e-Communication, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the opening of the ACGME’s annual Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys for the current academic year.
For the 2020-2021 academic year, there will be one reporting window for all programs to participate in both the Resident/Fellow and Faculty surveys. That window will open February 1, 2021 and close April 1, 2021. This change will give programs an extended timeframe to participate, moving from a five- to an eight-week reporting period. This will allow programs additional flexibility in completing their surveys, as well as the benefit of receiving 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. It’s important to note that all questions on the 2020-2021 Resident/Fellow and Faculty surveys are the same as those on the 2019-2020 surveys.
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 April 1, 2021.
Email questions to ADS@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, institutional and well-being resources, and more.
Registration Deadline Approaching!
Standard registration closes February 17. Premium registration, available up to, during, and after the conference, 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.
At the ACGME's biggest learning and networking event, attendees can explore more than 100 thought-provoking sessions, covering ACGME accreditation and initiatives; well-being; innovations in the clinical learning environment; diversity, equity and inclusion; COVID-19; crisis management, faculty development and much more. Additionally, the conference will include consultations with ACGME staff experts. View the full list of networking events.
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.
AWARE Resources Offer Stress, Burnout Mitigation Techniques
Cognition and Well-Being Skill Development Video Workshop
Designed for program directors and designated institutional officials, this two-hour video workshop is designed to provide programs with a framework for raising the issue of well-being with their residents by focusing on a series of cognitive skills and strategies. It is packaged as three short video presentations with slides that program directors can use as a model for leading a local workshop and discussion around cognition, mindsets, and well-being. It is accompanied by a Facilitator’s Guide detailing the workshop agenda, resources needed, activities, and guidelines for discussion.
AWARE (ACGME Wellness and Resilience) App and Course
Designed for individual physicians, the AWARE app and course introduce concepts from cognitive behavior therapy to help individuals identify personal cognitive habits and find practices and resources useful for improving resilience and overall well-being. Focused on a resident scenario, the app and course offer users didactics in common cognitive distortions and invites them to discover their own mindsets through self-assessments and examining the experiences presented.
View these and other well-being resources in Learn at ACGME.
NEW! 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.
CLER Visit Blackout Weeks Reporting Window Open - Window Closes Tuesday!
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 TUESDAY, January 26, 2021.
Email questions to CLER@acgme.org.
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
Abdominal Radiology
Craniofacial Plastic Surgery
Musculoskeletal Radiology
Neuroendovascular Intervention (proposed name change for Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology)
Neurocritical Care
Nuclear Radiology
Pediatric Radiology
Plastic Surgery
Recognition News / Notices: Osteopathic Recognition
Osteopathic Recognition FAQ Document Updated
The Committee added 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: 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 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.