The AOA/ACGME Merger – Breaking Down the Lingo

The AOA and ACGME merger is now in full swing and with this comes many questions from Orthopedic Surgery applicants. Perhaps the most important question that you, as an ERAS applicant should be asking is:

“What is the ACGME application status of the programs to which I am applying?”

Lets break down all of the possible answers to that question and clear up the meaning of the ACGME status options.

Option 1 – Program chooses to forego application to ACGME –

These programs will no longer take new residents and will not be included in February 2017 match. Any Orthopedic Surgery program that intends to continue taking new residents must have completed its initial application for ACGME accreditation by January 1st, 2017. Very few programs will fall into this category.

Option 2 – Initial Pre-Accreditation –

A program in this category has submitted an initial application to the ACGME but no action has been taken on the application at this point. A program in this category will be involved in the AOA match in February and have taken all of the early necessary steps to comply with the ACGME merger to this point.

Option 3 – Continued Pre-Accreditation –

These programs have submitted initial applications which have been reviewed by the ACGME committee but have not been granted accreditation for one reason or another. Typically the ACGME has come back to the program with highlighted areas for change and asked for resubmission after these areas have been addressed. These programs are on the path toward accreditation. These programs will participate only in the AOA match this February

Option 4 – Initial Accreditation –

These programs have applied and been granted ACGME accreditation. Until their AOA accreditation has expired, these programs are considered dually accredited. Therefore, you should ask if the program will be taking part in the AOA match, the NRMP match, or both. This could effect your rank list for the spring as the AOA match takes place prior to the NRMP match and is considered binding (If you match AOA you must withdrawal from NRMP).

To find information about specific programs online, search the ACGME list of programs that applied for accredidation and browse their accredidation FAQ site.

If you have a concern about any program, the fail safe is to make contact with the program coordinator or the program director.

Leave us a comment.  Tell us what you think about the merger.  What other questions do you have?