Acronyms
AAMC: Association of American Medical Colleges www.aamc.org
ABMS: American Board of Medical Specialities www.abms.org
ABIM: American Board of Internal Medicine
ACCME: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education www.accme.org
ACGME: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education www.acgme.org
ACLS: Advance Cardiac Life Support Certification
ADS: Accreditation Data System – see ACGME web site, aka WEB ADS
AHA: American Hospital Association www.hospitalconnect.com
AHEC: Area Health Education Centers
AMA: American Medical Association www.ama-assn.org
AMA/CME: American Medical Association – Council on Medical Education
ATLS: Advanced Trauma Life Support Certification
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CME: Continuing Medical Education
COMLEX: "USMLE" for DOs
DIO: Designated Institutional Official (Dean of GME)
DO: Doctor of Osteopathy (serves same role as MD)
JCAHO/JC: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
www.jointcommission.org Now called Joint Commission, not JCAHO
EA: Educational Arrangement, soon to be PLA – Program Letter of Arrangement
ECFMG: Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates www.ecfmg.org
ERAS: Electronic Resident Application System www.aamc.org/eras
FREIDA: Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database www.ama-assn.org/go/freida
FSMB Federation of State Medical Boards www.fsmb.org
GME: Graduate Medical Education
HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
IMG: International Medical Graduate or FMG (Foreign Medical Graduate)
IRB: Institutional Review Board
IRC: Internal Review Committeeor Institutional Review Committee
ITE: In-Training Exam
LCME: Liaison Committee on Medical Education www.lcme.org
NBME: National Board of Medical Examiners www.nbme.org
NRP: Neonatal Resuscitation Program
NRMP: National Resident Matching Program www.aamc.org/nrmp
OMB: Oregon Medical Board
OCA: Off Campus Authorization
PALS: Pediatric Advance Life Support Certification
PGY: Post Graduate Year
PIF: Program Information Form
RRC/RC: Residency Review Committee/Review Committee (see www.acgme.org)
USMLE: United States Medical Licensing Exam www.fsmb.org
VAMC: Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Also, www.acronymfinder.com is a useful source for finding the meaning of acronyms.
