Any medical school graduate who wants to practice medicine and become a licensed physician must complete an internship (1 year) and a residency (at least 3 years) in a US teaching hospital. Interns and residents are employees of the hospital. Their salaries are subsidized by Medicare and the Federal government, but their day to day instruction is managed by the hospital that employs them. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) governs residency education and training requirements. The ACGME competencies for resident training are in six basic areas:
- Patient care
- Medical knowledge
- Practice-based learning and improvement
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Professionalism
- System-based practice
In the area of interpersonal and communication skills, residents are required to develop the following skills before they complete their residency. Residents are expected to:
- communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public, as appropriate, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
- communicate effectively with physicians, other health professionals, and health related agencies
- work effectively as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group
- act in a consultative role to other physicians and health professionals
- maintain comprehensive, timely, and legible medical records
In the area of professionalism, residents are required to develop the following abilities before they complete their residency. Residents are expected to demonstrate:
- compassion, integrity, and respect for others
- responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest
- respect for patient privacy and autonomy
- accountability to patients, society and the profession
- sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population
If you have a specific interest in how, for example, the teaching hospital where you may receive care or may be thinking about receiving care, applies these ACGME requirements through the hospital’s training program, you can search the website. If information is not readily available on the website, every residency program is required by the ACGME to have one designated coordinator of the program. You can contact this individual and they will be able to provide you with information about the residency program.
Ruthann Russo, PhD, JD, MPH, RHIT, is a healthcare expert with more than 20 years of experience working in and advising healthcare organizations.
