GAO: Residency programs, residents increase under single GME accreditor

The number of physician residency programs increased by 14% between 2014-2015 and 2019-2020 as the programs transitioned to a single accreditor, while the number of residents in the programs increased by 13%, according to a report released yesterday by the Government Accountability Office.

In 2014, the two primary groups that accredited residency programs agreed that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education would serve as the nation's single accreditor for these programs by July 2020, allowing graduates of allopathic and osteopathic medical schools to complete their residency and fellowship education in any ACGME-accredited program.

The geographic distribution of programs and residents was largely unchanged over the transition period, GAO said.