Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) The ACGME accredits teaching institutions (teaching hospitals) and residency training programs. It operates through 26 residency review committees, a Transitional Year Committee, and the Institutional Review Committee (IRC). The ACGME approves standards, deals with appeals, and other administrative issues.
Board-certified specialist A physician who has successfully completed an ACGME-approved residency program or its equivalent in an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)-recognized specialty and has been certified by an ABMS member board.
Certification The voluntary process of credentialing a specialist by the 24 member boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties. After completion of residency training, a physician may decide to apply to a specialty board for certification. The timetable for applying will vary with the particular specialty. Some specialty boards permit the application to be filed during the residency and some permit the first part of the certification exam to be taken during or shortly after the residency. Others may require a specific period of practice or experience before applying.
International Medical Graduate (IMG) A graduate from a medical school outside of the U.S. not accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The LCME accredits educational programs in the U.S. and Canada leading to the MD degree.
Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) — The LCME is organized under the sponsorship of the AMA and AAMC and accredits educational programs leading to the MD degree in the U.S. and Canada.
Licensure The process by which a state or jurisdiction of the United States admits physicians to the practice of medicine. Licensure ensures that practicing physicians have appropriate education and training and that they abide by recognized standards of professional conduct while serving their patients. Candidates for first licensure must complete the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE), a rigorous examination designed to assess a physician's ability to apply knowledge, concepts, and principles that are important in health and disease and that constitute the basis of safe and effective patient care. All applicants must submit proof of medical education and training and provide details about their work history.
Match See "National Resident Matching Program."
Medical Practice Act A statute of a U.S. state or jurisdiction that outlines the scope of practice for physicians and the responsibility of the medical board to regulate that practice. The primary responsibility and obligation of a state medical board is to protect the public through proper licensing and regulation of physicians and, in some jurisdictions, other health care professionals.
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Managed by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the NRMP system was developed to provide both applicants and residency program directors an opportunity to consider their options for accepting and offering appointments to residency programs, respectively, and to have their decisions announced at a specific time. Often informally referred to as the "Match."
Residency The period of training in a specific medical specialty. It occurs after graduation from medical school, and its length varies from three to seven years, depending upon the specialty.
Resident or resident physician An individual at any level in a graduate medical education program, including subspecialty programs. Other terms used to refer to these individuals include interns, house officers, house staff, trainees or fellows.
The term "fellow" is sometimes used to denote physicians in subspecialty programs (versus residents in specialty programs) or in graduate medical education programs that are beyond the requirements for eligibility for first board certification in the discipline.
The term "intern" is sometimes used to denote physicians in their first year of training. The AMA does not use this term.
United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) This 3-step examination for U.S. medical licensure provides a common evaluation system for licensure applicants. Results of the USMLE are reported to state medical boards for use in granting the initial license to practice medicine. Each medical licensing authority requires, as part of its licensing processes, successful completion of an examination or other certification demonstrating qualification for licensure.
A glossary of medical terms is also available via the California Medical Association Web site.
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Content provided by: Medical Education