Numerous opportunities to connect and learn await all attendees at the 2023 ACGME Annual Educational Conference. With a networking reception and various sessions covering important topics of relevance in the international arena, those attending from outside of the United States will find many ways to engage. Here we have identified and highlighted some of these.
One important session for international attendees will be presented by ACGME Global Services, a department of the ACGME created to advance the ACGME Mission by working with non-US entities to enhance the quality of resident and fellow physicians’ education. Two other sessions will be offered by ACGME International (ACGME-I), an independent non-profit organization that provides accreditation services to Sponsoring Institutions and programs in graduate medical education outside of the US. All three of these will take place consecutively on Saturday, February 25, 2023. Other educational sessions of interest to a global audience will be presented throughout the conference.
The first day of the conference, Thursday, February 23, 2023, will be devoted to Full-Day Courses for specific audiences. One of these Full-Day Courses, Insights into the Accreditation Process: A Course for Program Directors, will include a dedicated presentation to international program directors by ACGME-I Executive Director Lorraine Lewis, EdD.
Friday, February 24
The conference schedule Friday offers a wide array of educational sessions for attendees, beginning with opening remarks and a plenary session led by ACGME President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP.
Featured plenaries will take up the late morning time period, focusing on some of the most significant issues in graduate medical education (GME) today. Other sessions of interest to global attendees include:
- Preparing Learners to Care for Patients and Communities Experiencing Substance Use Disorder (SES003)
- Nutrition and Health: Developing a GME Framework (SES004)
Early afternoon (1:30-2:45 p.m.) sessions include unique and topical opportunities to learn from subject matter experts. Some suggestions for international attendees from among the 26 concurrent sessions:
- A Guide to Preparing for an ACGME Site Visit (SES006)
Note: While this session will discuss the ACGME site visit process for US programs, the idea of learning about the site visit overall transcends borders and the content of this session can provide attendees from all over the world with valuable information to help them prepare for a future site visit.
- Efficient Milestones Assessment and Feedback Processes: Programmatic Strategies (SES007)
- Remediating the Struggling Learner (SES025)
- Resident Well-Being: Identifying “Red Flags” and Options for Intervention (SES027)
Suggested sessions for the mid-afternoon (3:15-4:30 p.m.) include:
- Measuring and Monitoring Well-Being in the Clinical Learning Environment (SES038)
- Institutional Self-Study—Lessons Learned from Three Institutions (SE052)
ACGME-I will host a reception on Friday evening for international attendees and others interested in global GME. The reception will be from 6:00-7:00 p.m. local time, in Delta Island AB. This is a wonderful opportunity to network with the global GME community in a convivial atmosphere.
Saturday, February 25
The third and final day of the conference will feature the sessions noted above presented by ACGME Global Services and ACGME-I.
During the early morning session timeframe (8:15-9:30 a.m.), ACGME-I will present Update on International Accreditation from the ACGME-I Team (SES062), an in-depth look at the activities of the Review Committees-International. The presentation will also discuss new initiatives and plans for ACGME-I. Speaking will be:
- James Arrighi, President and CEO, ACGME International
- Lorraine Lewis, ACGME International Executive Director
- Sophia Archuleta, Chair of the Medicine-based Review Committee-International and Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
- Salahddin Gehani, Chair of the Surgical/Hospital-based Review Committee-International and Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
Later that morning, between 10:00-11:15 a.m., will be the Marvin R. Dunn Keynote Address, a panel discussion entitled, Healing from Trauma: Impacts on the Healthcare Community.
The afternoon session window (12:45-2:00 p.m.) will be a highlight for international audiences, with ACGME Global Services presenting Post-Graduate Medical Education beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic (SES087), a review of the much-anticipated results from a recent survey of global GME thought leaders, including strategies for moving forward. Speakers are:
- John Ogunkeye, Executive Vice President, ACGME Global Services
- Joyce Chang Price, Senior Director, ACGME Global Services
- Richard Hasenpflug, Strategic Advisor, ACGME Global Services
During the final concurrent session period (2:30-3:45 p.m.), ACGME-I will present Innovation and Research in International GME (SES111), which will focus on educational research and innovation in ACGME-I-accredited Sponsoring Institutions and programs, as well as ideas for conducting educational research in an international context across borders, cultures, and medical practice patterns. Speaking will be:
- James Arrighi, President and CEO, ACGME International
- Sophia Archuleta, Associate Professor, National University Health System, Singapore
- Salahddin Gehani, Senior Consultant, Surgical Oncology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
- Sawsan Abdel-Razig, Chief Academic Officer, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
- Halah Ibrahim, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences Abu Dhabi
The conference will conclude with a Closing Plenary session and a “Toast on the Terrace” reception with the ACGME leaders, staff members, and all attendees.
Additionally, ACGME Global Services and ACGME-I staff members will share a space in the ACGME Hub, an area in the Exhibit Hall in which representatives from various ACGME and ACGME-I departments and initiatives will be available to converse with and answer questions from attendees. The space will be staffed by both groups at all hours the Exhibit Hall is open.
Review the full session program to learn more about the different sessions and opportunities to learn, network, and participate during the Annual Educational Conference. And make sure to register before online registration closes February 3!
We look forward to seeing you in Nashville!