Review Committee for Family Medicine (RC-FM) Resident Member

The application cycle for this position is closed. Information is available below for those who may be thinking about this opportunity.

NOTE: The AAFP has been asked by the ACGME to help recruit qualified candidates for this position. For details, please review the Call for Resident Member: Review Committee for Family Medicine.

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Review Committee for Family Medicine (RC-FM) serves as the accrediting authority for all family medicine residency programs in the United States. The committee reviews all new applications for family medicine residency program accreditation and regularly reviews existing programs to determine continuing compliance with the “Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Family Medicine” and the “General Requirements of the Essentials of Accredited Residencies in Graduate Medical Education.”

The two main functions of the RC-FM are the development of program requirements and the review and accreditation of residency programs. The resident is a full voting member of the committee and participates in all of the discussions and in program reviews. This position will represent the resident perspective, not that of the AAFP.

The appointment process begins in the year prior to the new resident member’s term.

Responsibilities

Term: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2026, with an orientation in April 2024

Participates as a full voting member in all Review Committee for Family Medicine (RC-FM) activities, including program review and policy discussions
Must attend all RC-FM meetings during active term
Traditionally, each RC-FM member would review 10-15 residency programs in preparation for full discussion at the RC-FM meetings. (It is anticipated that significantly fewer programs will receive a traditional review after the changes occur in the NAS.) The work for a traditional review would be as follows:
- The review of a file on a program that had a site visit takes approximately two to three hours each
- Review consists of a careful study of each program and the preparation of typed notes that must be prepared in the standard ACGME format and according to RC guidelines
- The reviewers’ notes are submitted to the RC office by the deadline established by the staff (approximately three weeks prior to the RC meeting)
- These program files are mailed to committee members well in advance of each meeting (ie, at least 6-10 weeks)
Attend the Council of Review Committee Residents (CRCR) twice a year. The CRCR advises the ACGME Board, providing input and feedback about resident matters
Occasionally, there are other activities that involve committee members’ time between meetings, such as reviewing and commenting on ACGME documents or other committee business

Focus: residency education, accreditation

Application Summary

How to Apply: The RC-FM accepts nominations directly. Please email Sandra Benitez to nominate a resident for this role, or if you have any questions.

Meet Current Resident Leaders

Read Annual Reports

Eligibility Criteria

The ACGME accreditation system continues to evolve into the New Accreditation System (NAS) and the merger of the ACGME and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accreditation systems. RC-FM members help to shape the rollout of these changes for family medicine.
Because of the significant amount of time that is involved, the RC requests a letter from the resident member’s program director indicating the program director’s endorsement for the resident to serve in this position. The program director is asked to prepare a letter and submit to the AAFP Division of Medical Education in which the following are agreed to:
- It will be acceptable for the resident member to be absent from his/her residency program for all scheduled RC meetings (three per year)
- The resident member will be given extra time in which to accomplish the program reviews prior to each RC meeting
- Participation on the RC is considered to be a voluntary contribution to the profession, and the resident should not be penalized by excessive duty hours to make up for the absences
- Some secretarial help should be made available to the resident member, if needed, for the completion of the work that is required

Note: Resident members may not serve on two Review Committees simultaneously, and must not be from the same geographical area or institution as another current member of the RC-FM.

Time commitment away from residency: Substantial (meetings, communication), Approximately 15-17 days

Travel: Yes

Funding: Travel expenses covered according to ACGME travel policy

Meeting Schedule

Meeting schedule for ACGME RC-FM: The RC-FM member attends regular virtual meetings as well as in person meetings throughout the year, most often in January, April, May, and October. In person meetings are often held in Chicago.

For meeting details, please see the Call for Resident Member: Review Committee for Family Medicine.