ACEP is fully committed to raising the bar for emergency medicine education and ensuring that our future colleagues are prepared to meet the challenges ahead. As the specialty evolves, so must our training and program requirements, based on a future-oriented perspective that addresses the needs of both individual physicians and the specialty as a whole. Our goal is to ensure that every emergency medicine resident graduates with the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to thrive in a dynamic and increasingly complex healthcare environment.
ACEP has been engaged for input on future needs and potential impact of changes to training requirements since 2021. Throughout the open comment period, ACEP has prioritized listening to member feedback and advocating for evidence-based consensus as training standards are determined.
ACEP welcomes many of the proposed enhancements—including expanded experience in critical care, pediatrics, low-resource and low-acuity settings, the integration of telemedicine, observation medicine and focused training in acute psychiatric emergencies and addiction medicine. We believe these elements will produce a future-ready workforce capable of meeting the needs of an increasingly complex patient population, while also helping address workforce gaps in rural communities.
Faculty, physicians, and trainees have expressed clear concerns about how changes to the proposed program length requirements may affect existing programs. Current ACEP policy, based on a 2023 Council resolution, supports the value of both three-year and four-year emergency medicine residency training programs, though ACEP acknowledges that the increasing complexity and demands of emergency medicine require us to be open-minded to the evolution of the specialty and the existing policy. ACEP supports ACGME in making changes to program requirements, including the length of training, using a robust, evidence-based approach, and gathering sufficient input from key stakeholders to inform final decisions.
Additional guidance was requested on several areas—such as ultrasound requirements—to ensure programs can implement the standards consistently and effectively.
We are grateful to every member who contributed insights throughout this process. ACEP will continue to amplify your voices and champion training standards that advance patient care, foster innovation, and protect the well-being of every emergency physician in the years ahead.
