We are writing today to share an update on the Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Emergency Medicine, following final review and approval by the Board of Directors at its most recent meeting. The newly approved Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Emergency Medicine will become effective July 1, 2028. This timeline is intended to provide programs with adequate opportunity to review, plan, and prepare for implementation.
The proposed change to move emergency medicine residency programs from the current three- or four-year program format to a standard four-year format was not approved by the ACGME Board, which determined that additional data are needed to fully assess this potential change. To support this, a pilot initiative will be developed to collect the necessary information. While details of the pilot are not yet available, we will continue to provide updates to the community as that work progresses.
Over the course of this multi-year revision process, we have shared periodic updates with the emergency medicine community through targeted communications, Review and Comment opportunities, and ongoing engagement, to ensure transparency and keep stakeholders informed. We remain committed to that approach and greatly appreciate the emergency medicine community’s high level of participation in the process.
We recognize that this has been a lengthy process. We are grateful for the patience, thoughtful input, and sustained participation of designated institutional officials, program directors, coordinators, faculty members, residents, fellows, specialty societies, and other stakeholders. Your feedback has been instrumental in informing the final version of the Requirements.
The approved revised Program Requirements documents – both a clean and a tracked changes version – are available on the Program Requirements and FAQs and Applications page of the Emergency Medicine section of the ACGME website. All additions, deletions, and revisions can be reviewed in those documents.
We would like to acknowledge the extensive collaborative efforts of the Review Committee for Emergency Medicine and the Writing Group, as well as the many other volunteers and contributors who participated in drafting, reviewing, and refining these Requirements. Their expertise and dedication have been essential to this work.
Thank you again for your feedback and commitment to graduate medical education and to the future of emergency medicine education and training.
Read CORD's Response to these Changes