February 22, 2021

February 22, 2021
NEW! ACGME Board of Directors: Actions Taken at the February Meeting

At its February meeting, the Board of Directors approved the following:

New Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pediatric Dermatology (subspecialty of Dermatology), effective February 7, 2021. The Requirements and FAQs are available under the “Currently in Effect” heading on the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page of the Dermatology section of the ACGME website. The new program application is available under the “Application for Accreditation” heading of the same page.

Major revision to Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Internal Medicine, effective July 1, 2022. The Requirements are available under the “Future Effective Date” heading on the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page of the Internal Medicine section of the ACGME website.

Focused revision to Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Clinical Neurophysiology, Epilepsy, and Vascular Neurology, effective July 1, 2021. The Requirements are available under the “Future Effective Date” heading on the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page of the Neurology section of the ACGME website.

Focused revision to Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, effective July 1, 2021. The Requirements are available under the “Future Effective Date” heading on the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page of the Pediatrics section of the ACGME website.

Focused revision to Institutional Requirements, effective July 1, 2021. The Requirements are available under the “Future Effective Date” heading on the Institutional Application and Requirements page of the Institutional Review Committee section of the ACGME website.


Access Information on COVID-19

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.


The Conference Starts Wednesday!

The final countdown to the 2021 Annual Educational conference has begun! Join more than 5,000 GME colleagues, virtually, at the largest graduate medical education gathering in the world! Pre-conferences are held Wednesday; regular sessions run Thursday and Friday.

Registration is still available! Attendees must register ahead of time to access the conference platform as soon as it opens on Wednesday, February 24. While Premium registration will be available during and after the conference, those who register once the conference begins may have delayed access to the platform.

Learn more about registration and pricing. Current Standard registration holders can  email registration@acgme.org to upgrade to Premium access.

Learn to Navigate the Conference Platform Here

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, an educational exhibit hall, a poster and awards hall, and much more. View the full list of networking events and daily conference events.


NEW! ACGME Common Program Requirements for Review and Comment

The following Program Requirements and Recognition Requirements and accompanying Impact Statements are posted for review and comment, here:

Comment Deadline: March 31, 2021
Common Program Requirements (Residency)
Common Program Requirements (Fellowship)
Common Program Requirements (One-Year Fellowship)
Common Program Requirements (Post-Doctoral Education Program)

NEW! Comment Deadline: April 7, 2021
Pediatric Hospital Medicine


REGISTER TODAY! Leadership Skills Training Program for Chief Resident

The Leadership Skills Training Program for Chief Residents will be delivered in an online format for 2021. The program includes seven, 90-minute weekly sessions from 9:00-10:30 a.m. Central on Fridays, starting May 7 through June 18, 2021.

The fee is $450 and registration is limited to 60 participants. Email questions to ariley@acgme.org.

Visit the Leadership Training Program for Chief Residents web page for details and to register.


Developing Faculty Competencies in Assessment: Virtual Course

Registration is open for the ACGME's virtual faculty development course. The course will provide the basic content of the live course through a series of interactive workshops and small group activities designed to help faculty members and leaders achieve the goals of competency-based assessment in graduate medical education.

Dates: Fridays, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Central, March 12-April 23, 2021 (No session April 2)
Cost: $495 per participant

For details and to register, visit the Faculty Development web page.


NEW! Non-Physician Faculty Profile Data Collection Changes Coming March 2021

To more accurately document the qualifications of non-physician faculty members, the information requested in ADS for non-physician faculty members will be updated during March 2021. Information requested for non-physician faculty members will include area of specialization and, if applicable, certification details.

The change will require programs to review non-physician faculty members currently listed on the Faculty Roster and add any missing information. Programs should update these faculty members’ credentials after the changes go into effect. A second announcement will be made when the changes are in effect.

Email questions to ADS@acgme.org.


Join the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Forum

The ACGME's Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosts a monthly leadership forum to provide a peer-advisory network of new and seasoned leaders who address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their Sponsoring Institutions and programs. More than 300 individuals have registered for the monthly educational sessions, in which diversity and corporate leaders from across the country share their expertise and address challenges faced by the GME around these issues.

Critical issues regarding strategic development of offices or departments, including leadership skills, dedicated time and requisite resource allocation, are key objectives for the forum, and all are invited to participate.

The forum is held on the second Wednesday of the month at 5:00-6:00 p.m. Central. The next forum will be March 10.

Email diversity@acgme.org for details.


JGME Is Now Open to All

In support of its mission to improve health care through graduate medical education, JGME will be completely open access as of February 2021. This means all JGME articles and content will be immediately available to the entire GME community and to the general public. All archived issues are also now available. Please help us spread the word about this exciting development!

Read JGME


FRIDAY! Celebrate Thank a Resident Day

Help the ACGME recognize residents and fellows February 26! On social media (Twitter and LinkedIn), the ACGME will share its appreciation for residents and fellows with the hashtag #ThankAResidentDay and encourages everyone who works with or knows a resident or fellow to spread the word.

Those active on Twitter should use the hashtag to post a message (note, quote, picture) thanking the resident in their lives or recognizing their own residency or fellowship programs.

Be sure to tag @acgme! The ACGME will be retweeting messages to promote the message of gratitude and support all day long.

Contact Justin Dreyfuss questions or ideas on how to get involved.


Visit Distance Learning at the Annual Educational Conference!

See what's new in Distance Learning and sample the large selection of interactive courses by clicking on the Learn at ACGME banner in the ACGME Hub at this year's conference February 24-26!

There will be curated a selection of resources on well-being, assessment, and accreditation, including some brand-new resources for the GME community. There are also opportunities for feedback and a chance to engage with the Distance Learning team.

Register for the 2021 Annual Educational Conference. Email questions to de@agme.org.


ACGME Names Inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Awardees

Emory University School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine are the inaugural winners of the ACGME Diversity and Inclusion Award, which recognizes their innovation, commitment, and thought leadership to create physician workforce diversity, and efforts to promote inclusivity.

Emory's emergency medicine residency displayed exceptional commitment to pathway programs into medicine and local engagement with the greater Atlanta community. Morehouse School of Medicine receives the award after displaying years of dedication to pathway programs, reinvesting in the local community, and diverse recruitment and retention.

Read more about the recipients in the ACGME Newsroom.


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.


Volunteers Needed for Milestones Work Groups

Volunteer for a Work Group reviewing 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, be familiar with the Milestones, and need not be physicians. Participants will be selected based on multiple criteria, including level of expertise, specialty and regional diversity, and need.

Deadline: Sunday, March 7, 2021
Adult Reconstructive Orthopaedic Surgery
Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic Surgery
Hand Surgery
Musculoskeletal Oncology
Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine
Orthopaedic Trauma
Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery

Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.


NEW! ACGME Seeks Resident Member

The following Review Committee is seeking its next resident member for terms beginning July 1, 2022. A resident member serves on the Review Committee to share the perspective of the resident, foster accountability to the needs of the resident, enrich the work of the committee through outside expertise, and create transparency in the work of the Review Committee. The Review Committee's selected nominee will be presented for ACGME Board of Directors approval. The term is from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024.

PLASTIC SURGERY
Details:
Nominees must be enrolled in an ACGME-accredited residency program at the time of the appointment and may not serve more than one year beyond completion of residency or fellowship. Applicants must be a current PGY-2-4 during the 2021-2022 academic year.  Residents enrolled in an integrated (six-year) program must be, at a minimum, in the second year of residency at the time of nomination. Residents in an independent (three-year) program must be in their first year of plastic surgery education at the time of nomination.
Contact: Michelle Armstrong
Deadline: March 26, 2021


Review Committee 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.


Review Committee News / Notices: Internal Medicine

The JGME 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: Nuclear Medicine

In light of the American Board of Nuclear Medicine's (ABNM) institution of multiple pathways for required radiotherapy experience, the Review Committee will not find programs to be non-compliant as long as residents meet one of those pathways specified by the ABNM.

Contact Review Committee staff members with questions or concerns.


Review Committee News / Notices: Ophthalmology

ACGME Case Log Resource Available
"Ophthalmology Case Log Information" consolidates previous Case Log information into one document and provides answers to frequently asked questions to encourage standardized logging practices across programs, help ensure proper credit is given to the required minimums, and provide important new guidance regarding logging multiple procedures on the same patient. The document is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Ophthalmology section of the ACGME website.

Recording Available
A recording of the Review Committee's webinar held on January 25, 2021 is now available on Learn at ACGME.


NEW! Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Updated
A new FAQ has been added that permits program directors to add one required outpatient neuromusculoskeletal medicine rotation to the curriculum, per program year. The document is accessible from the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page of the Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal 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:

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 years 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 FAQsfor 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

New Case Log System for Radiology Programs Developed
The ACGME and the Review Committee for Radiology has prepared a new version of the Case Log System for radiology programs. The updates are complete and ready for implementation March 1, 2021.

A 30-minute video preview of the new model and functionality is available in Learn at ACGME or on Vimeo. Users who have not previously accessed educational materials through Learn at ACGME will need to set up a user ID (free). The video and slides can be retrieved using this link.

Again, this new Case Log model is scheduled to roll out March 1, 2021. Email technical questions to ads@acgme.org. Email comments/feedback to dr@acgme.org.

Application for Fundamental Clinical Skills of Medicine Year Available
The Review Committee is now accepting applications from programs seeking to add a fundamental clinical skills of medicine year. The document is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Radiology section of the ACGME website. 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.


NEW! Career Opportunities

The ACGME currently has the following open position:

Accreditation Administrator
Medical Writer

Click on the position linked above for details and to complete an application.