On the Importance of Participating and the Value of Getting Involved

Different cultures have distinct ways of determining what will happen; some have a leader who makes all decisions; some have a senior council of elders; some have voting, yet with varying understandings of who may vote. In some communities, it is the loudest voice that controls; in others, only a voice that agrees with a “favored” position is heard; in some, speaking up can in and of itself be fraught with negative consequences.

Peer review is considered to be the gold standard for accreditation. Decisions made by like-minded experts who must work by the same rules and guidelines they are using to evaluate programs helps to maintain quality and patient safety and improve graduate medical education in ACGME-I-accredited Sponsoring Institutions and programs. The membership of the Review Committees-International includes a broad range of specialties and countries to support the peer-review process.