The ACGME is a private, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that sets standards for US graduate medical education (residency and fellowship) programs and the institutions that sponsors them, and renders accreditation decisions based on compliance with these standards.
Accreditation is achieved through a voluntary process of evaluation and review based on published accreditation standards. ACGME accreditation provides assurance that a Sponsoring Institution or program meets the quality standards (Institutional and Program Requirements) of the specialty or subspecialty practice(s) for which it prepares its graduates.
ACGME accreditation is overseen by a Review Committee made up of volunteer specialty experts from the field that set accreditation standards and provide peer evaluation of Sponsoring Institutions and specialty and subspecialty residency and fellowship programs.
- Case Logs and Surveys
The ACGME Data Collection Systems comprise the Accreditation Data System (ADS), which includes the Case Log System, and the Resident/Fellow and Faculty Surveys.
- Common Program Requirements
The ACGME Common Program Requirements ensure that all ACGME-accredited programs follow a basic set of standards (requirements) in educating and preparing resident and fellow physicians.
- Council of Review Committee Residents (CRCR)
At least one resident or fellow physician sits on each of the ACGME’s Review and Recognition Committees. In addition, those residents and fellows meet several times a year as the CRCR, which serves as an advisory group to the ACGME’s Board of Directors. Nominations for committee positions are announced in the ACGME’s weekly email, the e-Communication.
-
- Milestones
Outcomes-based Milestones are a framework for determining resident and fellow performance within the six ACGME Core Competencies.
- Review and Comment
The ACGME invites comments from the community of interest regarding the proposed requirements listed on this page as open for comment.
- Self-Study
A self-study is an objective, comprehensive evaluation of the residency or fellowship program, with the goal of improving it. The ACGME encourages institutions and programs to include residents and fellows in the self-study process.
- Site Visit
The accreditation process for programs and Sponsoring Institutions includes periodic on-site visits to assess compliance with the Program and Institutional Requirements. Accreditation Field Representatives conducting the site visit often speak with residents and fellows as part of the visit.
Recognition is additional acknowledgment, supplemental to accreditation, for identified elements or categories of a Sponsoring Institution or program. Recognition is conferred through a voluntary process of evaluation and review based on published recognition standards. ACGME recognition is overseen by a Recognition Committee made up of volunteer experts and a representative of the public. Depending on the type of recognition, programs must be accredited by the ACGME, or sponsored by an institution accredited by the ACGME.
- Osteopathic Recognition
Osteopathic Recognition is conferred upon any ACGME-accredited program providing requisite training in Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP).
In attending to its mission to improve health care and population health through accreditation, the ACGME dedicates research and resources to areas impacting graduate medical education such as the clinical learning environment and physician well-being.
-
- The Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Program
The CLER Program is designed to provide US teaching hospitals, medical centers, health systems, and other clinical settings affiliated with ACGME-accredited Sponsoring Institutions with periodic feedback addressing six specific areas of focus.
- Physician Well-Being
The ACGME is committed to addressing physician well-being for individuals and as it relates to the clinical learning environment.
