To our AOA friends out there – have no fear, Partners is here! The recent announcement of a unified accreditation system has us all in GME excited to be part of this pivotal time in GME accreditation. As you begin to receive information from the AOA, ACGME and your specialty societies, feel free to contact Partners with any questions that you may have. Some tips for the transition:
- Pay attention to the dates of transition and plan accordingly. Although a five year transition period may seem like a long time, you will need to allow some time to implement the different ACGME accreditation requirements. The earlier you start the better off you and your program will be. Don’t forget to allow time to address any issues that you may come across.
- Familiarize yourself with the ACGME Institutional, Common and Specialty specific requirements. There are many similarities that exist between the current systems; however the ACGME does have some differences that you may not be aware of. For example, PGY-1 ACGME residents are not permitted to work more than 16 hours in a row while PGY-1 AOA residents currently do not have this restriction.
- Embrace the unified system. There are many decisions to be made and new processes to learn. Remember to not panic, read everything that you can and don’t be afraid to contact us with any questions that you may have.