Program Coordinator Corner – November 2017
Dawne M. Vowler
Endocrinology & Metabolism Fellowship Coordinator
T32 Training Grant Manager
University of Michigan
dvowler@med.umich.edu
In the upcoming issue(s), we will focus on Professional Development. In this issue, I am going to focus on one very specific Professional Development initiative – TAGME Certification. TAGME stands for Training Administrators of Graduate Medical Education. I received my TAGME Certification in December 2016. This last summer/fall, I was on the Outcomes Committee of TAGME, meaning I graded the Certifying Assessment (Part II) of the examinations for those that applied this year, which was another Professional Development activity.
Here are the steps for certification:
- Complete the Application by February 28 and pay the application fee of $315.00
- I would suggest that you request your Program, Division, or Department pay this fee, as part of your Professional Development
- Make sure that you qualify
- i.e., that you have been a Program Coordinator long enough
- That you have completed enough Education Credits, etc.
- Take the Qualifying Assessment (QA)
- 3.5 Hours long
- Open book
- Internet based
- 100 multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions
- Citations to support your answers are sometimes required
- Upon successful completion of the Certifying Assessment (CA)
- Designed to assess your knowledge of how your fellowship training program functions, as well as your ability to find and access information relative to GME.
- Open Book
- Eight weeks to complete – no extensions granted; no exceptions
- Essay questions
- Score of 80% or greater necessary for successful completion
- Resource Documents for Both Assessments
- ACGME Common Program Requirements
- ACGME Institutional Requirements
- ACGME Glossary of Terms
- ACGME Policies and Procedures
- Acronyms
- Should You Not Be Successful on Your First Attempt
- You have one opportunity to retake the assessment(s) during the subsequent year at no additional cost
- Only those assessments scoring less than 80% need to be retaken
- Candidates must fully re-apply and pay an additional full registration fee after two consecutive unsuccessful attempts. ($315.00)
FAQs
- Did I Study?
- No. As a seasoned PC, I either knew the information or knew where to find it in the resource material. DO, however, become familiar with the Common and Institutional Program Requirements, if you are not already.
- What are some advantages of being TAGME Certified?
- Recognition of advanced knowledge in the field of GME.
- Can be a good bargaining tool when discussing financial or title advancement.
- Do I always use C-TAGME after my name in my signature line?
- No, but this is a personal preference. I use C-TAGME mostly in the GME arena, as I do feel it can sometimes lend some credibility to what I might be saying about a subject.
The whole process was a big learning experience for me and a tool for advancement. Those were my own personal reasons for certifying. TAGME has been a gateway to additional volunteering and professional development opportunities on a national level. It provides opportunities to network with peers all over the country. If you are interested, here is the link for more information.