The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV serves as the sponsoring institution for more than 20 residency and fellowship programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). As an institution, the graduate medical education (GME) program has maintained continued accreditation status since July 1, 2016. Each residency and fellowship program has its own specific accreditation with the ACGME based on its application date, ranging from 1980 to 2023.

The ACGME is an independent, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that sets and monitors voluntary, professional educational standards essential in preparing physicians to deliver safe, high-quality medical care to all Americans. GME refers to the period of education in a particular specialty (residency) or subspecialty (fellowship) following medical school; the ACGME oversees the accreditation of residency and fellowship programs in the U.S.

The ACGME sets standards for effective training programs, and monitors compliance with those standards (the institutional and program requirements).

  • Specialty-specific committees (review committees) of volunteer physicians, including a resident/fellow representative and a non-physician public member, create a uniform set of high standards for each accredited specialty and subspecialty applied across all accredited U.S. residency and fellowship. These programs are educating and training physicians in those fields to ensure the highest quality physicians and patient care.
  • Accredited residency and fellowship programs are continuously monitored for substantial compliance with the requirements set by the applicable review committee, including through data collection and evaluation, surveys, and site visits.
  • The review committees regularly review the accreditation requirements to ensure they are based on current and best practices in the field.
  • The ACGME sets standards designed to cultivate a team-based learning environment and culture in which residents and fellows serve as both learners and mentors in delivering high-quality patient-focused care.
  • Residents and fellows provide regular feedback to the ACGME about their programs, offering an inside view that helps the organization to improve the overall quality of accredited programs.