ACGME RRC—this litany of letters means little to most otolaryngologists. However, whether you are a private practitioner or an academician, a resident in training or a program director, you should have a basic understanding of the work done by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Residency Review Committee (ACGME RRC).
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July 2010Background
The ACGME was founded in 1981 in an effort to establish an independent, non-governmental accreditation body for graduate medical education. The organizations involved in founding the ACGME include the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS). From the beginning, the ACGME’s purpose has been to “improve healthcare by assessing and advancing the quality of resident education through accreditation.” The ACGME wants its values of accountability, professionalism and excellence to be manifested by processes that are valid and reliable, open and transparent; actions that are respectful, collaborative, responsive and fair; and accreditation that is efficient, outcomes-based and innovative.
The ACGME currently has 28 Review Committees, including one for each of its 26 specialties, one Transitional Year Review Committee and one Institutional Review Committee. Each of these RRCs is composed of six to 15 volunteers from within that field. The otolaryngology RRC comprises 11 members: 10 voting members, including three each from the three nominating organizations, one resident member and one ex-officio (non-voting) member, who is the executive director of the American Board of Otolaryngology (ABOto). Selection of members to the RRC is by nomination from the AMA Council on Medical Education, the ABOto, and the American College of Surgeons. The group receives additional assistance from the non-voting executive director of the RRC, who is an educational professional and a permanent employee of the ACGME. A chair and vice chair of the committee are elected by the voting members and serve as the executive council of the committee, making administrative decisions in between major meetings. The full otolaryngology RRC meets twice yearly for full program reviews.