Transfer Policy
1. Scope
All University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) graduate medical education (GME) training programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and sponsored by the UWSOM, and programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), which may refer to these policies but must also consult policies defined by CODA. Residents and fellows in these programs are hereafter referred to as “residents”.
2. Purpose
To define the transfer process for residents transferring into a UWSOM or UWSOD GME training program from another program within or outside the UWSOM or UWSOD.
3. Definition
Residents are considered “transfer residents” under several conditions (as defined in the ACGME Glossary of Terms) including:
- Residents moving from one UWSOM GME program to another program within the UWSOM.
- Residents moving to a UWSOM GME program from a program at a different Sponsoring Institution.
- Residents entering a PGY-2 program requiring a preliminary year even if the resident was simultaneously accepted into the preliminary PGY-1 program and the PGY-2 program as part of the Match (e.g., accepted to both programs right out of medical school).
- The term transfer does not apply to a resident who has successfully completed a residency and then is accepted into a subsequent residency or fellowship program.
4. Policy
Program directors must obtain verification of previous educational experiences and a summative competency-based performance evaluation prior to acceptance of a transferring resident, and Milestones evaluations upon matriculation (ACGME Common Program Requirements (CPR) 3.5).
For resident transfers not related to completion of a required PGY-1 year, program directors must consult with the Assistant Dean for GME and GME Director of Accreditation regarding a potential transfer and obtain written acknowledgement of the proposed transfer from the resident’s current program director before offering a position.
5. Procedures
Program directors may accept transfer residents to fill open positions in their program or in response to a program/Sponsoring Institution closure (ACGME Policy and Procedures, Section 24.4.). Required steps include:
- Approved ACGME Complement: Confirmation that program has approved ACGME complement to accept a transfer or will apply for a temporary (or permanent) increase.
- Funding Approval: Confirmation that the program has required funding or will request funding if required.
- Match Commitment: Confirmation that any potential transfer resident does not have a binding Match Commitment with another program.
- Eligibility Requirements: Programs must be familiar with the eligibility requirements for transfer residents as outlined in the respective ACGME Specialty Requirements and submit an eligibility exception request to the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) for review if needed. Refer to the GME Eligibility, Recruitment, and Selection Policy.