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Updates on Efforts and Resources Related to Transplant Nephrology Training

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Introduction

The joint American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and the American Society of Transplantation (AST) Task Force on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Accreditation for Transplant Nephrology applied in early 2024 for ACGME recognition of transplant nephrology as an accredited subspecialty of nephrology. By supporting a broad and nationwide adoption of uniformly rigorous transplant nephrology training, ASN and AST hope to improve the quality of care provided to patients in both pre- and post-transplant phase.

The fall 2024 ACGME approval of this application was a critical first step to optimizing the education of transplant nephrology fellows and improving the quality of care for patients.

This webpage was created to provide regular updates to the transplant nephrology training community about any news and resources related to the ACGME accreditation of transplant nephrology training programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Linked here is a list of frequently asked questions about the ACGME accreditation of transplant nephrology training programs. 
 

Relevant Links

 

Timeline

View PDF version 

  • August 2025: Finalization of ACGME Transplant Nephrology Program Requirements
    • The ACGME Transplant Nephrology draft program requirements (TN PRs) are finalized.
  • September 27-28, 2025: Transplant Nephrology Program Requirements Reviewed
    • The ACGME Board of Directors reviews the TN PRs at their September 2025 meeting and decides whether to approve them. If approved, the effective date of the PRs will be the date of this meeting.
  • Late October 2025: Application Form Made Available
    • If the TN PRs are approved at the September 2025 ACGME Board of Directors Meeting, the new application form will become available for programs in late October. When available, the transplant nephrology subspecialty-specific portion of new application form will be found on the ACGME Review Committee for Internal Medicine (RC-IM) webpage (linked here).
  • Late October 2025: Transplant Nephrology Fellowships Now Eligible to Apply for Accreditation
    • Applications from transplant nephrology fellowships received before the closing date for the January 2026 ACGME RC-IM meeting will be reviewed at that meeting. Otherwise, applications will be reviewed at the RC-IM’s April 2026 meeting. Applications received after the closing date for the April 2026 meeting will be reviewed at the September 2026 meeting. Thereafter, the timing of the review of new applications will be dependent on the closing date of each RC-IM meeting. Meeting dates and agenda closing dates (as well as contact information for RC-IM staff) can be found on the ACGME website here.
  • Late 2025 and Beyond: ACGME Accepts Applications from Transplant Nephrology Fellowships
    • Programs, working with their GME office, start to gather resources and start the process to apply for accreditation; the application usually takes 6-12 months to complete. If a program is approved at an ACGME RC-IM meeting to receive accreditation, their effective date of accreditation will usually be the date of the RC-IM meeting. Sometimes, the accreditation date can be retroactive (for example, the program is approved at the September 2026 RC-IM meeting, and the effective date of accreditation is set to July 1, 2026). After approval, the RC-IM grants the applicant program Initial Accreditation because the applicant has demonstrated that the program will be in substantial compliance with the TN PRs. Transplant nephrology programs will not require accreditation site visits before they are reviewed by the RC-IM at their meeting for Initial Accreditation. From beginning to end, the application and approval process can take a year or more.
  • 2027: Major ACGME Common Program Requirement Revision
    • The ACGME Common Program Requirements (CPRs) are currently undergoing a major revision. It is anticipated that the CPR major revision should be completed sometime in 2027; these revisions for IM and its subspecialties and sub-subspecialties occur every 10 years.
  • 2028 and Beyond: Programs Can Transition to Continued Accreditation
    • Two years after achieving Initial Accreditation, the transplant nephrology fellowship will require a site visit to transition to Continued Accreditation. After transitioning to Continued Accreditation, the program will continue to be required to complete the Accreditation Data System (ADS) annual update, including addressing any citations noted in the letter of notification and the ACGME Fellow Survey.

Information and resources for programs seeking to obtain accreditation

ACGME provided the following bullet points to summarize the process for transplant nephrology (TN) fellowships. ACGME encourages TN training program directors (TPDs) to enlist the help of their Designated Institutional Official (DIO) in completing their applications. ACGME also encourages TPDs to reach out to any member of the ACGME Review Committee for Internal Medicine (RC-IM) staff to assist with any questions regarding the timeline or completion of the application. 

  • To initiate an TN application, the sponsoring institution needs an ACGME-accredited Nephrology program on an accreditation status of Continued Accreditation.
  • The DIO will initiate the application in ACGME’s Accreditation Data System (ADS).
  • The application has 3 parts:
    • General application for all programs submitted via online data entry
    • Specialty-specific application submitted via Word document
    • Attachments
      • Policies (Supervision, Work Hours, Moonlighting)
      • Evaluation Tools (Fellows, Faculty, Program)
      • Program Letters of Agreement
      • Block Diagram
      • Goals and Objectives
  • TN applications will not require a site visit. Generally, new applications for IM subspecialties and sub-subspecialties do not require a site visit.
  • After the RC-IM meeting to review the application, the TPD and DIO will receive an email with the RC-IM’s accreditation decision within five business days of the RC-IM meeting.
  • Approximately 60 days later, a letter of notification follows that will detail any noted areas of noncompliance.
  • If the program is granted Initial Accreditation, the effective date is the date of the RC-IM meeting at which it was approved. Two years after achieving Initial Accreditation, the TN program will require a site visit to transition to Continued Accreditation. After transitioning to Continued Accreditation, the program will continue to be required to complete the ADS annual update, including addressing any citations noted in the letter of notification and the ACGME Fellow Survey.

 

Here are additional resources from the ACGME website: 

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This content was developed independently by AST and supported by a financial contribution from Sanofi