Letter to the Community on Timeline for Major Revision to ACGME Institutional Requirements

Dear Members of the Graduate Medical Education Community,

In August, the ACGME’s Institutional Review Committee (IRC) introduced a proposed major revision to the Institutional Requirements for review and comment. This step is part of the ACGME’s ongoing commitment to align the Requirements with the evolving roles of Sponsoring Institutions, their programs, and their relationship to clinical learning environments. We are grateful for the thoughtful response from the graduate medical education (GME) community and appreciate your engagement.

Based on the robust response and to synchronize this effort with the upcoming revision of the Common Program Requirements, the ACGME and the IRC have decided to extend the original timeline for approval and implementation of the revisions to the Institutional Requirements. The IRC continues to review the comments it received and will use this feedback to make changes to the proposed Requirements. The committee will also collaborate with the Common Program Requirements Task Force that will convene in January 2025. In this way, each group can inform the other as it undertakes its major revision effort. Once revisions are made, there will be a second review and comment period, as promised, to allow time for the community to provide feedback.

We recognize the impact of the Institutional Requirements not only on the institutions themselves, but on all GME programs, and believe that harmonizing the review of the Institutional Requirements with the scheduled review of the Common Program Requirements will better support improvements in accreditation and the needs of the GME community.

On behalf of the ACGME, thank you again for your dedication, focus, and patience as we work together to establish enduring Requirements that provide a framework for the very important work of preparing the next generation of physicians.

We will continue to create opportunities to engage with you throughout this process. Further updates will be shared through the weekly e-Communication, on the ACGME website, and via our social media channels.

Sincerely,

Mary Klingensmith, MD
ACGME Chief Accreditation Officer

Cynthia Kelley, DO, FAAFP
Chair, Institutional Review Committee