Hospitals Can Apply Now For New Residency Positions

The application period for hospitals to apply for new residency positions is now open through March 31. This is the fifth and final round of 200 full-time equivalent (FTE) Medicare-supported GME residency positions authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

The CAA authorized 1,000 new FTEs to be distributed to hospitals with a maximum of 200 per year until all positions were awarded. Four categories of qualifying hospital are eligible for distributions: rural hospitals or hospitals treated as rural hospitals that are over their Medicare GME FTE cap; hospitals in states with new medical schools or branch campuses; and hospitals in geographic Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA). CMS prioritizes awards based on HPSA score, with hospitals reporting the highest scores in the applicant pool receiving first priority, followed by hospitals with progressively lower scores until all slots are filled.

ACR® recommends interested members speak with their hospital administrations for further details.

To date, 800 FTE positions were awarded through the first four rounds of distributions to 206 teaching hospitals.

Hospitals can access the application through the CMS Direct Graduate Medical Education (DGME) website  or directly through the CMS MEARIS application portal.  

For more information, contact Ashley Walton, ACR Government Affairs Director.