VIRMP Info

Surgery Residency Programs

In 2014, the ACVS announced that all programs training residents, existing and new, will need to apply for and receive "registered" status from ACVS. It is important that applicants and programs review the information at www.acvs.org/residents/program-registration.

How Does This Impact the VIRMP?

The ACVS will notify institutions/practices regarding the status of their application for registration by December 1st. Applicants may apply to programs before the ACVS notification occurs. Applicants should ensure that any surgery residency programs that are ranked have been registered by the ACVS.

What Happens if a Residency Program advertised in the VIRMP Does Not Have Registered Status or Has Been Placed on Probationary Status?

Failure to receive registered status for a surgery residency program means time spent by a resident in that program, while it is not registered, does not count toward requirements for an ACVS residency.

Programs may be placed on probation or on suspension during the annual review of registration applications, or throughout the year based on changes in personnel or facilities. No new residents may begin a program at an institution/practice that is on probation or suspended. The exception to this policy is if the resident was officially matched to the program through the VIRMP prior to the program being placed on probation. In this circumstance, the resident will enter the program subject to the requirements of a program on probation.

If an applicant is matched to a surgery residency program that subsequently is notified that the program has not received registered status or has been placed on probation, the applicant is not bound by VIRMP Guidelines to accept the match. Likewise, if an institution/practice that advertises a surgery residency program in the VIRMP fails to achieve registered status or has been placed on probation, that institution/practice is not obligated to offer a surgery residency to a matched applicant.

Programs must notify all applicants immediately if the program fails to achieve registered status or is placed on probation by the ACVS. Failure of a program to notify applicants that the program did not receive registered status or has been placed on probation by the ACVS is grounds for a sanction by the VIRMP.

The ACVS maintains a list of currently registered training programs at www.acvs.org/certification/training-programs. This list is updated each December 1. Questions regarding this list should be directed to Sarah Donnelly, Programs Manager, at [email protected].