Monday, September 26, 2011

How do you know if the medical residency program is accredited?

Hello Medical Residency and Medical Fellowship Applicants!
How do you know if the medical residency program is accredited?
First of all, I would call the AMA and ask a live human being where you can find the information, and ask about your specific program. Obviously, your first choices should be financially stable and accredited programs. Since everyone is on a budget these days and limited by time constraints, you most likely do not want to spend $1500 on a trip to the opposite coast to interview at a program which is unaccredited and not financially stable. Do you want to put in 2 years only to be told that the program is not accredited or had to fold? 
  • Call AMA Member Relations at (800) 262-3211. (It's a good idea to register to join the AMA meanwhile.)
  • Also call the specific program and ask if they are accredited and by whom.
  • Get advice from your colleagues, supervisors and various department heads on this question too.
  • BY ALL MEANS, check all this out by downloading the latest information at ACGME.
  • Here are a couple of links to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME):
http://www.acgme.org/adspublic/default.asp
http://www.acgme.org/acWebsite/home/home.asp
And while I am spewing out advice, when you do go to interview, talk with some of the other residents.  You can ask them questions of a more personal nature. However, if you decide to ask additional questions of the residents, please assume that anything that you ask may be passed along to the decisionmakers, and also, please consider the possibility that the resident whom you are asking may also be one of the decisionmakers or may be consulted in your application process. Because you are essentially in a fishbowl at this point (watch those Facebook entries too!),  choose your words carefully.



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