The ABPM’s Integrated Training Experience (ITE) is designed for a program to accommodate a single physician who wishes to shorten their training time and complete two residencies or fellowships during this period. The ITE needs to meet all of the program requirements for the ABPM sponsored residency or fellowship. The ITE training program must meet all the program requirements for the ABPM’s initial Certification examination in the Specialty/Subspecialty for which ITE training has concluded.

These guidelines are intended to assist the ABPM Board of Directors in its determination of whether to approve an ITE request. However, while these guidelines set out a framework for consideration by the Board of Directors, each ITE request shall be considered individually and no prior approval or denial will be precedential as to any future approval/denial.

As used in these guidelines, “must” and “shall” are intended to describe mandatory requirements. “Should” is not mandatory but is used when providing guidance about what may be considered in the interest of providing appropriate responses to each individual ITE request.

1. Programs requesting an ITE must confirm that the residencies and fellowships in the ABPM-sponsored Specialty or Subspecialty shall not be truncated or otherwise shortened as part of the ITE program.
2. The ITE program experience must run concurrently.
3. The proposed ITE request must confirm that the requesting entity has an ACGME- accredited fellowship and/or residency in the Specialty or Subspecialty for which ABPM Certification is being sought and provide the ACGME program number.
4. At least one of the program directors of a proposed ITE must be certified by either the ABPM or the Co-Sponsoring ABMS member board for the Subspecialty in which Certification is being sought.
5. Program requests must include a clearly described written curriculum for the Specialty or Subspecialty for which ABPM Certification is being sought. The curriculum must assure a cohesive, planned, educational experience, and not simply comprise a series of rotations between the two Specialties/Subspecialties. The request must list all the educational requirements of the categorical standard ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship requirements for the Specialty or Subspecialty for which ITE approval is being sought. By way of example and not limitation, the ITE request for a Clinical Informatics and Pulmonary Critical Care program should compare the ITE rotations and requirements to the standard ACGME-accredited two-year Clinical Informatics fellowship.
6. Any block diagram submitted in support of a proposed ITE must be in a format that is materially consistent with the then-current version of the ACGME sample block diagram.
7. The ITE request must also list all the educational requirements of the ITE program which will be used to meet the ABPM initial Certification requirements for the Specialty or Subspecialty for which Certification is being sought.
8. The ITE request must explain any gaps or differences in the requirements for the ITE program and the categorical or stand-alone ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program.
9. If new rotations for the ABPM initial Certification requirements are being offered during the ITE that are not used for the categorical ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship, then the requesting entity must describe in sufficient detail how the new rotations meet the core competencies and training experiences of the stand-alone ACGME-accredited residency or fellowship program.
10. Requests for changes to the rotations within the PM Residency/Fellowship must be submitted to ABPM for approval. Changes that are limited to timing (i.e., PGY2 to PGY3) that do not decrease the number of PM Residency/Fellowships rotation do not require prior approval.
11. The curricular components of an ITE must conform to the program requirements for accreditation in the ABPM Specialty or Subspecialty in which Certification is being sought.
12. Proposals for an ITE must be submitted to ABPM as well as the other ABMS member board at least 60 days prior to the date the candidate plans to begin the program. Additionally, and for the avoidance of doubt, the ITE MUST be approved by both ABPM and the other ABMS member board BEFORE a candidate can be accepted into and/or begin the proposed ITE. Any proposed ITEs that are submitted AFTER the candidate has already started the training under the proposed ITE, will not be reviewed by the ABPM and, instead, will be summarily denied with a written denial sent to the program and to the other ABMS member board.
13. The approval of an ITE will be effective as of the date the ITE request is approved by the second of the two Boards approving the ITE request and shall be remain in effect until such time as the candidate completes the ITE, withdraws or is otherwise deemed no longer to be participating in the ITE program.
14. The sponsor of the ABPM Specialty program shall include the expected dates of completion on the ITE request.
15. ABPM will maintain a list of approved and denied ITEs with the name of the candidate and the expected date of completion. ABPM shall review the application records to determine if the candidate has applied for Certification within the seven years of board eligibility following the successful completion of the ITE program. Reports to the Board will include statistics identifying the number of physicians who completed an ITE who seek Certification and their rate of success.
16. ABPM will engage in annual review of the ITEs to monitor the status of the applicants.