Appointment Policy
1. Scope
All residents and fellows participating in University of Washington (UW) graduate medical education (GME) training programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), or Council on Dental Accreditation (CODA), who hold a Resident or Fellow appointment. This policy also includes Residents and Fellows in UW GME non-ACGME training programs who hold a Fellow Non-ACGME or Fellow Non-ACGME Stipend title. Residents and Fellows are hereafter referred to as “Residents”.
Individuals with Acting Instructor titles are appointed by the Office of Academic Appointments and Compensation (AAC).
2. Purpose
Outline requirements for appointment to a UW GME training program, including eligibility and completion of credentialing requirements, appointment duration and approved compensation reflected in the Compensation Schedule for CIR NW Members.
3. Policy
Initial appointment to a UW GME training program is conditional and contingent on meeting eligibility criteria for entry into residency and fellowship programs as defined by the GME Eligibility, Recruitment, and Selection Policy and successful completion of the credentialing process.
Residents’ promotion, appointment renewal and dismissal must follow the conditions outlined in the GME Resident/Fellow Remediation Policy and Grievance Procedure.
All appointments will be effective for periods not to exceed twelve (12) months, unless otherwise approved by the GME Office.
The terms and conditions of residents’ appointment to the program are outlined in the CIR NW Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and the Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA). Residents and fellows are expected to sign a new RFPA for each year they are appointed to a UW GME program.
Residents are paid according to the Compensation Schedule for CIR NW Members. Salaries/stipends are paid by the University of Washington School of Medicine according to the terms of the CBA. Initial salary/stipend levels are assigned during onboarding and can be found in MedHub and on the RFPA signature page. Residents will receive a one-step salary increase upon successful completion of the training year and promotion to the next training level.
Salary levels are determined based on the level in which a Resident is participating in the training program. Residents will not necessarily receive credit for prior years of training that were not required for entry into the current program. Programs may request a one-step stipend increase for Residents who have previously completed clinical training experiences considered by the program to be relevant to the current training program. If approved, the program/department will be responsible for supplementing the difference in stipend level when a participating hospital will not fund the difference. Requests for exceptions must be submitted by the program to the GME Office before initiating the Resident’s appointment agreement (e.g., RFPA signature page). Requests must include the following information:
- Rationale for the exception (e.g., additional relevant clinical training, chief residency year),
- Resident’s complete curriculum vitae (CV).
Residents required by their program to participate in overnight call or to perform other duties related to their training program past midnight on their last night of service in their program will receive pay and all benefits for hours worked past the end date of their appointment agreement. Programs must only pursue this option when no other clinical coverage options are available. Programs must submit a request for approval to the GME Office for any Resident required to participate in overnight call, with a rationale for the extension, no later than April 30. If approved, the Resident’s appointment must be extended by one day in both MedHub and Workday. The Resident’s RFPA signature page will not be revised.
Some circumstances may vary from the standard appointment practices outlined above.
- Residents in non-ACGME training programs are not represented by the CIR NW and do not sign GME RFPAs. Non-ACGME Residents will receive offer letters from their department. These offer letters will be uploaded to Workday by the department as part of the initial appointment process.
- Research Years: Residents will receive credit for ACGME-required research years in addition to program-required non-ACGME research years within the structure of their ACGME training program. External research years, outside the structure of an ACGME training program, will not be recognized in a stipend step level increase.
- Programs that accept residents that originate from different disciplines/tracks: Starting training levels may vary for residents in these programs. This is based on eligibility requirements outlined by the ACGME Review Committee, ABMS, and/or CBA.
- Paid Direct Residents (PDR): Receive compensation and benefits from their hiring employer. To ensure ACGME compliance, these residents sign RFPAs. Chief Residents and Fellows – Guidance on chief appointments can be found in the GME Chief Resident/Fellow Policy.
- Extensions of Training: For residents requiring an extension of training, review the Procedure for Submitting Extension of Training Requests on the Appointments & Credentialing page.