Graduate Medical Education Policy Statement

Policy: Resident Eligibility and Selection for Allopathic/Osteopathic Positions

Effective Date: 11-2-15  - Approved BY GMEC

Revision Date(s): 11/3/15; 11/5/15 9/21/16

Purpose

To ensure that the residency program selects from among eligible applicants on the basis of their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, professionalism and personal qualities such as motivation and integrity, and to select a resident group that includes individuals with potential interest of future practice of Family Medicine, and preferably in Arizona.

Policy

Applications

Each program director or designee shall review all eligible applications. Only candidates deemed eligible for residency as defined by the ACGME (see below) will be considered.

Interviews

The program director, faculty, and residents shall conduct applicant interviews. Not all applicants will be offered interviews.

Resident Eligibility

Applicants with one of the following qualifications are eligible for appointment to Abrazo Central Family Medicine Residency Program as outlined by the ACGME:

a. Graduates of medical schools in the United States and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME.)

b. Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the United States accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA).

c. Graduates of medical schools outside the United States and Canada who meet one of the following qualifications:

1. Have received a currently valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) prior to appointment, or

2. Are able to receive a limited license for residency training in Arizona; 

d. Graduates of medical schools outside the United States who have completed Pre-Internship (formerly Fifth Pathway program) provided by an LCME-accredited medical school.

[Note: A Fifth Pathway program is an academic year of supervised clinical education provided by an LCME- accredited medical school to students who meet the following conditions: (1) have completed, in an accredited college or university in the United States, undergraduate premedical education of the quality acceptable for matriculation in an accredited United States medical school; (2) have studied at a medical school outside the United States and Canada but listed in the World Health Organization Directory of Medical Schools; (3) have completed all of the formal requirements of the foreign medical school except internship and/or social service; (4) have attained a score satisfactory to the sponsoring medical school on a screening examination; and (5) have passed either the foreign Medical Graduate Examination in the Medical Sciences, Parts I and II of the examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners, or Steps 1 and 2 of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).]

e. Abrazo Health does not sponsor visas and therefore does not accept applications from individuals who would require sponsorship.

Resident Selection

a. Abrazo Health, through the GMEC, requires that programs select from among eligible applicants on the basis of their preparedness, ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, and personal qualities such as motivation and integrity. The GMEC assures that the programs do not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, affectional orientation, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

b. The selection of qualified applicants is made by each program through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP). The Residency Program Director, with input from faculty and residents, determines the final NRMP rank of all candidates being listed.

Family Medicine Residency Program

The Abrazo Central Family Medicine Program uses the following minimum criteria for consideration for invitations to interview:

  • Have a genuine interest in and commitment to Family Medicine
  • Have a maximum of one failed attempt on Steps 1, 2 or 3 on the USMLE and /or COMLEX.
  • Have at least one year of hands-on U.S. clinical experience (if a foreign medical graduate)
  • Not require sponsor visas or observerships
  • Have graduated medical school within the past two years

In addition to the above selection criteria, an expressed interest and/or background in serving in a rural or undeserved area is an important consideration.

A standard rating scale shall be used by all interviewers to assist in determining NRMP rankings. Applicants must have successfully passed USMLE Step 2 by February 1st .

Questions about the Family Medicine Residency Program?

If you have questions about the Family Medicine Residency Program at Abrazo Health Network, please contact our residency coordinator.

Abrazo Health Network Family Medicine Residency