To Our CORD Community,
Over the past several weeks and months, in meetings, town halls, and other forums, we have heard from many of you—directly and passionately—about the proposed ACGME Program Requirements and your experience with the process. One message has come through clearly: many of you have not felt adequately supported by the Board during this critical comment period. Some felt unheard. Others felt uncertain about where CORD stood or what steps were being taken.
We are sincerely grateful to those of you who spoke up, organized your communities, submitted comments, and asked the hard questions—not only of the ACGME, but of us who represent you in our organization. Your voices have always shaped the direction of our specialty, and we are thankful for your leadership, insight, and advocacy.
We want you to know that we hear you and your feedback is taken seriously. As a Board, we are committed to reflecting on what we’ve heard and striving to support all of you – including those who have felt unheard.
Looking ahead, we are taking immediate additional steps to advocate for our programs. One unifying theme among all EM programs is that meeting the proposed changes to the program requirements will require a massive curriculum design effort. As a result, the CORD Board of Directors is formally requesting that the ACGME extend the implementation timeline for any proposed changes by at least two years. Regardless of whether the final requirements include a transition to a four-year training model, we know that significant change is coming, impacting all of us. Our goal is to ensure you have the time, tools, and support you need to prepare.
At this time, we still do not know what the new program requirements will be. However, we do know this: CORD will be ready to support you in the process of implementation regardless of the final recommendations. We will develop resources, share strategies, and create space for collaboration and shared problem-solving. And we will continue working to improve how we communicate, respond, and represent your diverse needs.