{"id":4378,"date":"2021-08-26T16:44:27","date_gmt":"2021-08-26T20:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecfmg.org\/news\/?p=4378"},"modified":"2021-08-26T16:44:27","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T20:44:27","slug":"coalition-makes-announcements-on-ume-to-gme-transition-and-virtual-interviews-for-2021-22-residency-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecfmg.org\/news\/2021\/08\/26\/coalition-makes-announcements-on-ume-to-gme-transition-and-virtual-interviews-for-2021-22-residency-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Coalition Makes Announcements on UME to GME Transition and Virtual Interviews for 2021-22 Residency Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coalition for Physician Accountability today announced that is has accepted the final report and recommendations of the Undergraduate Medical Education to Graduate Medical Education Review Committee (UGRC) to improve the transition from medical school to residency. In addition, the Coalition earlier this week released new guidance for medical education institutions on interviewing applicants during the 2021-22 residency season.<\/p>\n

The Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates | Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (ECFMG|FAIMER) is a member of the Coalition, a cross-organizational group of national medical education organizations.<\/p>\n

UME to GME Report and Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n

The UGRC<\/a>, an independent body of stakeholders commissioned by the Coalition, submitted its final report and 34 recommendations<\/a> to improve the transition from medical school to residency. The Coalition accepted the report and recommendations and has released them to the public. The release of the report marks the formal completion of the work of the UGRC.<\/p>\n

UGRC Co-chairs Dr. Elise Lovell and Dr. George C. Mejicano released a statement<\/a> in which they\u00a0 thanked the Coalition for its support in conducting this important work, and thanked each member of the UGRC for their expertise, thoughtfulness, and dedication to improving the UME-to-GME transition for all.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past year, the UGRC worked tirelessly towards developing solutions to improve the UME-to-GME transition for all involved. We strove to follow a set of guiding principles that supported the public good and encouraged us to act boldly and transparently to address the challenges within the current transition. We believe the recommendations we put forward will create better organizational alignment across the transition, address inequities, enhance wellness and produce many additional positive outcomes.<\/p>\n

The UGRC could not have completed its work without the invaluable input and feedback we received from the public and stakeholder organizations throughout the past year. The conversations we had and comments we received from students, program directors, DIOs, medical school deans, medical educators, international medical graduates, and the public had a profound impact in guiding our work and informing the final recommendations.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Coalition is committed to working together as each individual Coalition member organization further explores how to address moving forward with the UGRC\u2019s recommendations, collectively and individually. Additional information will be forthcoming as progress is made on planning and implementation of the recommendations.<\/p>\n

Recommendations on Virtual Interviews for 2021-22 Residency Season<\/strong><\/p>\n

On August 24, a working group of the\u202fCoalition released new guidance on interviewing during the 2021-22 residency season for medical education institutions considering applicants from Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited, U.S. osteopathic, and non-U.S. medical schools.<\/p>\n

The guidance was created in response to ongoing concerns about continuing risk associated with travel for residency interviews arising from the COVID-19 delta variant and its spread across the United States. Eight major national medical education organizations support an extension of the 2020-21 recommendation on interviews. The Coalition urges each medical school, sponsoring institution, specialty society, and residency program to carefully consider the recommendations and commit to working together to create an equitable, transparent, and successful residency selection cycle that prioritizes the safety of all.<\/p>\n

ECFMG|FAIMER supports the Coalition\u2019s recommendations, which are intended to add to, but not supersede, the independent judgment of a medical school, sponsoring institution, or residency program regarding the immediate needs of its patients and the preparation of its learners. Medical school deans have the authority and responsibility to make decisions regarding their medical students; and designated institutional officials and program directors have the authority to make decisions regarding residents in their sponsoring institutions and programs. Because students rely on predictable, common practices across schools and programs as they prepare to transition to residency, a shared response to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will reduce unnecessary confusion, stress, and inequity among students while promoting a more successful residency selection process for all.<\/p>\n

The latest recommendations<\/a> include the following:<\/p>\n