Matched into a non-ACGME accredited program?

[Simran1]

Hi, I need a little advice. I'm a fourth year student at a well known medical school, and just got matched into a non-ACGME accredited program. I'm considering doing a specialty after my 3 years of residency. Will it affect my chances of getting a good fellowship? What are my other options at this point? Should I go to this school or take a year off and re-apply? Please help, thank you
Scores: 226 in Step 1, 246 in Step 2

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[turquoiseblue]

Hi, I need a little advice. I'm a fourth year student at a well known medical school, and just got matched into a non-ACGME accredited program. I'm considering doing a specialty after my 3 years of residency. Will it affect my chances of getting a good fellowship? What are my other options at this point? Should I go to this school or take a year off and re-apply? Please help, thank you
Scores: 226 in Step 1, 246 in Step 2

nonACGME will count toward licensure but it is non-credit so you won't be board certified,board eligible will you? i don't think so. you would have to ask the fellowship programs if they would take you. im not sure but i don't think they will. i would get an ACGME accredited program, not a nonACGME program.
maybe do the nonacgme and then reapply next year for an ACGME and see if you get it. stay in nonacgme until you get acgme and then leave it.

good luck.

 

[Llenroc]

 

[Smurfette]

nonACGME will count toward licensure but it is non-credit so you won't be board certified,board eligible will you? i don't think so. you would have to ask the fellowship programs if they would take you. im not sure but i don't think they will. i would get an ACGME accredited program, not a nonACGME program.
maybe do the nonacgme and then reapply next year for an ACGME and see if you get it. stay in nonacgme until you get acgme and then leave it.

good luck.

This is correct. If you are in a non-ACGME residency, you are not board eligible. The inability to be boarded could be problematic later on in your career (some insurers, many employers and many hospitals will only support board eligible/board certified physicians....and this trend is increasing.).

However, to get back to your specific question about fellowships:
Most, if not all, ACGME fellowships (depending on specialty) will only accept fellows who are from an ACGME accredited residency. This ties in largely to board certification and the ability to be boarded in a given subspecialty, which generally requires board certification in the 'general' residency prior to achieving board certification in the 'specific' subspecialty. Programs WANT their trainees to pass the boards; it reflects on the quality of the program. Most, if not all, 'top' fellowships are ACGME accredited. So yes, your non-accredited residency would be severely limiting for you.

You CAN find non-ACGME accredited fellowships (once again, would not qualify for subspecialty boards). These will give you experience in a given field. Because of the lack of accreditation of non accredited programs (at both residency and fellowship level) there is not the oversight that assures the quality and standards that other programs are held to....so you don't know what you're getting into. While there are quality non accredited programs out there, they are not viewed as favorably as accredited programs.

 

[bluray]

I know about non accredited fellowship programs, but I did not know that the match offered non accredited residency programs. How would someone locate a non accredited residency program?