Common Program Requirements Section VI with Background and Intent
©2017 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Page 9 of 19
that is free from mistreatment, abuse, or coercion of students, residents,
faculty, and staff. Programs, in partnership with their Sponsoring
Institutions, should have a process for education of residents and faculty
regarding unprofessional behavior and a confidential process for
reporting, investigating, and addressing such concerns.
(Core)
VI.C. Well-Being
In the current health care environment, residents and faculty members are at
increased risk for burnout and depression. Psychological, emotional, and
physical well-being are critical in the development of the competent, caring, and
resilient physician. Self-care is an important component of professionalism; it is
also a skill that must be learned and nurtured in the context of other aspects of
residency training. Programs, in partnership with their Sponsoring Institutions,
have the same responsibility to address well-being as they do to evaluate other
aspects of resident competence.
Background and Intent: The ACGME is committed to addressing physician well-being for
individuals and as it relates to the learning and working environment. The creation of a learning
and working environment with a culture of respect and accountability for physician well-
crucial to physicians’ ability to deliver the safest, best possible care to patients. The ACGME is
leveraging its resources in four key areas to support the ongoing focus on physician well-
education, influence, research, and collaboration. Information regarding the ACGME’s ongoing
efforts in this area is available on the ACGME website.
As these efforts evolve, information will be shared with programs seeking to develop and/or
strengthen their own well-being initiatives. In addition, there are many activities that programs
can utilize now to assess and support physician well-being. These include culture of safety
surveys, ensuring the availability of counseling services, and attention to the safety of the
VI.C.1. This responsibility must include:
VI.C.1.a) efforts to enhance the meaning that each resident finds in the
experience of being a physician, including protecting time with
patients, minimizing non-physician obligations, providing
administrative support, promoting progressive autonomy and
flexibility, and enhancing professional relationships;
(Core)
VI.C.1.b) attention to scheduling, work intensity, and work compression that
impacts resident well-being;
(Core)
VI.C.1.c) evaluating workplace safety data and addressing the safety of
residents and faculty members;
(Core)
Background and Intent: This requirement emphasizes the responsibility shared by the
Sponsoring Institution and its programs to gather information and utilize systems that monitor
and enhance resident and faculty member safety, including physical safety. Issues to be
addressed include, but are not limited to, monitoring of workplace injuries, physical or
emotional violence, vehicle collisions, and emotional well-being after adverse events.