Resident Transfers
gme-adm-0028
About This Policy
- Effective Date:
- 08-28-2013
- Date of Last Review/Update:
- 04-16-2025
- Responsible University Office:
- Graduate Medical Education
- Responsible University Administrator:
- Senior Associate Dean for GME
- Policy Contact:
- GME Assistant Director Emilie Leveque
eleveque@iu.edu
- Policy Feedback:
- If you have comments or questions about this policy, let us know with the policy feedback form.
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Scope
This policy applies to all Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) Graduate Medical Education (GME) resident physicians.Policy Statement
Programs are allowed to recruit residents mid-training, so long as funding for the resident is secured, no NRMP Match agreements are broken, andthe program’s Residency Review Committee approves a congruent complement increase when necessary. Program Directors are required to consult with the GME Office before making any offer to a potential resident who wishes to transfer to IUSM.
Per the ACGME, Residents are considered “transfer residents” under several conditions, such as:
- moving from one program to another within the same or different sponsoring institution; and
- when entering a PGY-2 program requiring a preliminary year, even if the resident was simultaneously accepted into the preliminary PGY-1 program and the PGY-2 program as part of the match (e.g., accepted to both programs right out of medical school).
Before accepting a transfer resident, the program director of the receiving program must obtain written or electronic verification of previous educational experiences and a summative competency-based performance evaluation from the current program director. The term ‘transfer resident’ and the responsibilities of the two program directors noted above do not apply to a resident who has successfully completed a residency and is then accepted into a subsequent residency or fellowship program.
Reason for Policy
The purpose of this policy is to define procedures related to resident transfers.Procedures
Prior to accepting a resident with previous graduate medical education training into an advanced position (i.e., beyond the normal entry level in the program), the IUSM program director must:
- Contact the program director of the departing program in which the resident had previous graduate medical education in order to obtain documentation that both verifies educational experiences completed in the previous program and summarizes the Milestones-based performance of the transferring resident.
- Determine if the resident is on a visa, as GME may need to facilitate a visa transfer.
- Determine if the resident coming from a training program that has closed without providing the remainder of that resident’s training. It may be necessary to determine funding for the transferring resident. Displaced residents should begin training with their CMS funding intact.
- It may be necessary in this circumstance to request an increase in program complement to accommodate the new resident.
The summative Milestones evaluation should remain both a part of the applicant's file and a part of the resident's program records if appointed to the program. Following review by the program director, a copy of the summary evaluation record must be sent to the Assistant Director for Accreditation along with other required documentation when requesting a letter of appointment for the individual. Prior to final appointment and letter of appointment initiation, documentation must be approved by the GME Office.
Conversely, an IUSM program director must provide timely verification of residency education and summative performance evaluations for residents who may transfer to a new program prior to completion of the current program.
Additionally, it is recommended that program directors of fellowship programs which have residency training prerequisites make personal contact with the program director or other individuals able to evaluate a fellow's performance at a previous level of residency training, and document that discussion as part of the application process.
All components of this policy will apply to any trainee requesting transfer to an IUSM training program.
Definitions
ACGME is the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
A resident is an IUSM resident or fellow, or a non-IUSM resident or fellow electively rotating through IUSM and provides clinical care as part of a GME program.
Implementation
The Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for Graduate Medical Education is responsible for implementation of this policy.Oversight
Policy authority for this document resides with the Graduate Medical Education Committee. The DIO and the Graduate Medical Education Committee are responsible for oversight. This policy will be reviewed every three years or more often if deemed necessary.History
- Policy gme-adm-0028 approved by GMEC and published on 11 March 2009.
- Policy reviewed, updated, and approved by GMEC on 28 August 2013.
- Policy updated for formatting 05 March 2018.
- Policy updated for formatting 27 June 2018.
- Policy updated 08 August 2021.
- Approved by GMEC 18 August 2021.
- Policy updated 30 April 2024.
- Policy updated 9 April 2025
- Policy approved by GMEC April 16 2025.