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Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare staffing shortages were a primary concern amongst many hospitals. The impact is widespread, particularly on a hospital’s core missions, such as health outcomes, as well as GME learning environments for teaching hospitals. The quality of care and services a hospital provides is ultimately reliant on the expertise and longevity of its faculty and...

Healthcare and academic medicine since its origin have experienced continual revolutionary changes—or, at the least, fundamental shifts—within the discipline. Throughout the 20th century, these changes were marked by advancements in the standardization of healthcare delivery and the newly defined role of academic medicine. Similarly, healthcare at large has undergone radical shifts with the advent...

Section 126 Awardees, within the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (HR 133), were recently published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). HR 133’s Section 126 aims to create 1,000 new funded residency positions; whereupon 200 slots would be awarded every year for 5 years. Teaching hospitals applied for these positions, and they could not be given more than 5 funded positions...

A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document used to give a snapshot of someone’s professional career. It is similar to a resume but puts an additional focus on professional development experiences, in addition to any work or educational history. Physicians are usually required to keep and maintain a CV throughout their careers.

Today is National Rural Health Day! While we celebrate the programs and partners focused on healthier rural communities, the Germane team wanted to highlight the available grant support and clarify definitions related to rural health education and training.

It’s been nearly one year since the unforgiving coronavirus permeated the country’s hospitals and health systems. We’ve seen how COVID-19 has disrupted our day-to-day lives, leading to various adaptations and adjustments, some for the better, while other mitigation and innovations are being drawn up and attempted. Only time will tell how the infrastructure and operations of health care will evolve,...

What makes a good hospitalist? How does one even begin to characterize one? Dr. Jesse Burk-Rafel, a hospitalist at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, addressed this topic recently in a series of tweets, all 180-characters or less. Ultimately, one thing can be deduced from his thoughts and supporting evidence - a good hospitalist is not easily defined. Nonetheless, some defining characters come up frequently...

Social Media - love it or hate it; it is part of everyday life. Social Media permeated the GME community culture in a very short amount of time. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn were all founded after 2000. The first iPhone was released in 2007. Within twenty years, both grew into incredibly powerful and influential tools used by people, companies, and organizations—including those in the...

Throughout the years, a Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program Coordinator (PC) evolved from an entry-level position of administrative secretary or clerk to a higher-level leadership position of the program administrator. Due to this evolution, this role requires extensive training, so PCs can learn about and assimilate to a profession that necessitates a combination of compliance with accrediting...

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, so do the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education’s (ACGME) efforts to assist in managing key educational and operational concerns resulting from these disruptions. To date, the accrediting organization’s largest response to this devastating event is the implementation of two emergency states that help each Sponsoring Institution highlight...

Recruitment season is an exciting time for Residency and Fellowship programs. Programs meet potential residents or fellows by inviting them to interview. These interview days usually include dinner with faculty and residents, informal meet and greets, and facility tours. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, programs are strongly encouraged to conduct all recruitment season activities virtually, at...

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has 24 boards that cover a plethora of medical specialties. Upon being initially certified, all physicians must be continually recertified which, “is the process whereby the Board identifies for the public those Diplomates who have met the Board's criteria for basic continuing education and have demonstrated a fund of knowledge and expertise in the care...

With the new academic year starting this week (July 1) many institutions are starting to look forward to how COVID-19 is going to impact their GME programs. Institutions are changing their approach to move away from rotations that many Residents take during their training programs. As mentioned in past Germane News Alerts, institutions have moved to the virtual process of interviewing candidates...

The NRMP made a big announcement this June by adding a fourth round to the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP). The SOAP is the process during MATCH Week whereby positions left unfilled are offered to eligible unmatched applicants through a rapid succession interview and offer rounds. In previous years, SOAP is comprised of three rounds. However, with the increasing number of unfilled...

In their April 17, 2020 press release, Prometric (the parent company of USMLE) confirms testing for USMLEs 1, 2 CK, and 3 will begin again on May 1st on a site-by-site basis, meaning states like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan will likely be on the bottom of the list for re-opening. USMLE Step 2 CS exams are markedly more 'hands-on' by nature and thus have no exact date for restarting,...

With the rapid evolution of news regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative for institutions and programs to be observant of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other trusted sources. By staying well acquainted and actively responsive to the most recent medical information and practices from these numerous resources, institutions, and programs, we'll all be better positioned...

In some areas of the United States, a slow decline in COVID-19 cases is occurring as the summer rolls in and hospitals begin their orientation for incoming Residents and Fellows. With the heavy lift of unprecedented times, onboarding, and orientation nearing completion and with the outcome-- pandemic-related policies and processes--in place, it is time to be proactive and acknowledge the coming of...

USMLE announced two additional regional test sites for Step 1 and Step 2 CK serving select schools in California (n=5) and Texas (n=10). This increases the availability of testing from 25 to 38 LCME schools. It also provides access to 2 Texas-based osteopathic schools, leaving 78% (n=138) of LCME medical students and 100% of potentially eligible international medical students behind.

Germane previously provided in our May 19th News Alert a deep analysis of the Coalition for Physician Accountability's statement strongly recommending virtual recruitment and the impacts it will have on the 2021 NRMP MATCH season. As an update, it is important to notify all Program Directors to check for joint statements from specialty-specific Organizations and Boards regarding residency/fellowship...

Over the course of last week, the USMLE posted three locations for regional and event- based testing opportunities for medical students and graduates to take USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK exams. Last night, the USMLE released that it would not hold USMLE Step II CS exams for the next 12-18 months. While we await understanding of how this will impact students and programs in the long run, we do know the...

One item that's not receiving a ton of publicity, but perhaps should, is the AAMC's new podcast, "Beyond the White Coat". Available for free from your favorite podcast provider, the podcast is a weekly medium through which top leaders of Physician Education organizations gather to share insights and perspectives on one topic at a time. Topics thus far have ranged from the bioethical responses amidst...

On Thursday, May 21, 2020, the ACGME held one of the largest international calls of record (700+ attendees) for Sponsoring Institution leadership. The call was recorded and will become available within the Sponsoring Institution Forum sometime later this week. If you haven't already logged into the forum and explored it, it is a great location for more than just recorded meeting minutes. It also...

On Monday, May 11, 2020, the Coalition for Physician Accountability, comprised of almost every overarching group (AACOM, AAMC, ACCME, ACGME, AMA, AOGME, AOA, CMSS- OPDA, ECFMG, FSMB, LCME, NBME, and NBOME) released its Final Report and Recommendations for Medical Education Institutions of LCME Accredited, U.S. Osteopathic, and Non-U.S. Medical School Applicants. The main recommendations to consider...

Well-being, Burnout, Moral Injury. In the American healthcare workforce, these are not just buzzwords. ACGME, AAMC, AMA, and AHA - you name an acronym and that association is taking well being seriously. Research, case studies, and white papers have exploded over the last five years with physicians and their advocates voicing the ever-growing need to identify the root causes of burnout and spotlight...