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ACGME International Home Newsroom Coordinating Coordinators from across the Globe: ACGME-I’s First Coordinators Congress

Coordinating Coordinators from across the Globe: ACGME-I’s First Coordinators Congress

Program coordinators from 16 ACGME-I-accredited Sponsoring Institutions across 10 countries gathered in Abu Dhabi in May for the first ever ACGME-I Coordinators Congress. This was a unique opportunity for these professionals to learn, share, and network across the entire ACGME-I community.

“ACGME-I’s goal was to set up a space where coordinators could learn, interact, and continue to network,” said Executive Director Lorraine Lewis, EdD, adding that all of the 27 participating coordinators are leaders who will share what they learned with their fellow program coordinators within their respective institutions.

Before the in-person event began, participating coordinators completed two online pre-meeting modules to prepare. Then, during the day-and-a-half congress, the coordinators focused on enhancing their leadership skills and empowering their roles, and engaged in practical sessions on a wide range of topics, such as improving communications, a deep dive into the Accreditation Data System, and how to prepare for site visits.

The coordinators also heard from Maha Al Fahim, MBBCh, and Kelli Kiernan, the designated institutional official and institutional coordinator, respectively, at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. They discussed how these two roles communicate, interact, and share responsibility for the successes of residency and fellowship programs.

In addition, Karen McCausland, MBA from Yale New Haven Hospital presented on “A Year in the Life of a Coordinator,” which brought the whole event together for many attendees.

“The Congress provided a wonderful opportunity to engage with my international colleagues, emphasizing that program and institutional coordinators share the same dedication to exchanging ideas and best practices, regardless of country or hospital,” said Ms. McCausland. “It was a fantastic way for many coordinators to network with colleagues outside their home institutions.”

Zehra Mazhar, the institutional director of graduate medical education (GME) at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, reflected on this opportunity to mutually learn with her fellow coordinators, noting that “empowerment is a ladder to your growth and success.”

Representing not just their program but also their Sponsoring Institution, several of the participants have been recognized for their leadership and dedication to GME:

  • Rania Jaber, MPH, GME manager at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon: ACGME International Staff Award, 2021.
  • Kellie Kiernan, institutional coordinator at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE: ACGME International Staff Award, 2020.
  • Zehra Mazhar, institutional director of GME at Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar: ACGME International Staff Award, 2024.
  • Karen McCausland, MBA, manager of the GME Programs at Yale New Haven Medical Center, Connecticut, US: ACGME GME Institutional Coordinator Excellence Award, 2012.

ACGME-I thanks its accredited Sponsoring Institutions and programs for their continued commitment to strengthening the behind-the-scenes work, especially to help sponsor the participation of their coordinators at the Congress.

“Coordinators are vital to the success of residency and fellowship education,” said Dr. Lewis. “It was truly inspirational to see the talent and dedication of the professionals at this workshop.”