What is the ACGME?

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is a non-profit organization comprised of practicing physicians. The ACGME works to ensure that educational standards for physicians is maintained in areas of higher learning, specifically that of the medical field. The goal behind their work is to ensure that quality medical care is is the new normal.

The ACGME primarily works to ensure that fellowships and residency program standards are upheld. Programs which meet such standards are deemed ACGME accredited.

Do USCEs need to have ACGME affiliations?

While a U.S. Clinical Experience (USCE) cannot be accredited by the ACGME, as it is not considered a higher learning experience, it is possible for the rotation sites,where such experiences occur, to be ACGME accredited. This is the case when a hospital or institution has a residency or fellowship program that is ACGME certified. The clinical experiences held at these institutions would then be considered ACGME affiliated.

What are the benefits of an ACGME affiliated USCE?

Both ACGME affiliated clinical experiences and those without such an affiliation can provide a letter of recommendation from a U.S. physician, useful when applying for residency. An affiliated clinical experience can enhance an application, should the applicant choose to rank an ACME affiliated institution where they completed a USCE. In this case, the ACGME affiliation allows the residency program to be notified of the applicant’s history there. It may make the applicant a more attractive candidate as it shows he or she has a sincere interest in that specific program.

Does AMO offer clinical experiences that have ACGME Affiliations?

Yes! AMO offers a generous selection of clinical experiences at institutions that offer residency programs and fellowships. To explore and apply to these ACGME-affiliated clinical experiences, click here.

In order to view these and the additional 200+ experiences AMO offers you will have to create an account with us. Creating and account and applying to rotations is free and simple. Click here to create an account with AMO today!