Residency Training Programs Receive Maximum Reaccreditation

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Graduate Medical/Dental Education Consortium, responsible for all of the medical specialty training in Western New York, has been reaccredited for five years, the maximum length of time, by the American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

"This is very good news for Buffalo and our residency programs," said Roseanne Berger, senior associate dean for graduate medical education in the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

"Now we can devote our full attention to the business of educating residents. They must learn to use the best available science and refine their skills to provide safe and compassionate patient care. Our residents and faculty welcome this challenge."

Preparation for the review began in 2000, culminating in a lengthy document submitted to the ACGME in August 2002. A site reviewer visited Buffalo in September 2002 and met with members of the Consortium Residents' Committee, dean of the UB medical school, and the Graduate Medical Education Committee, composed of residency program directors, residents, department chairs and hospital officials.

The new five-year reaccreditation will begin officially when the consortium receives the formal announcement from the ACGME, which is expected in about eight weeks.

Graduate medical-education programs provide new medical school graduates with the training necessary for careers in medical specialties. These specialty programs are called "residencies" and enrollees are referred to as "residents." The consortium currently sponsors 54 accredited residency and fellowship training programs based in nine member hospitals and in several community-based locations.

Because the UB medical school does not operate its own university hospital, residency training is conducted in its affiliated hospitals. Historically, the programs have been managed by the consortium, which is composed of representatives from the hospitals and the medical school.

This administrative structure will be phased out in the coming months, and responsibility for graduate medical education will be transferred to the UB medical school. The hospitals will remain as partners in the program. Berger said the review process was conducted with this transfer in mind.