Residency Relocations

Candidate and Program Director Candidate Residency Training Program (RTP) Relocation Protocol

On occasion, an ACVIM Candidate either wishes or needs to leave their current RTP which requires them to complete their training requirements in a new program. Although residency relocations are not encouraged, the ACVIM recognizes that, at times, it is necessary and will support those relocation requests when deemed appropriate by the applicable Residency Training Committee (RTC) and Credentials Committee (CC).
 

Note: This process is only required if the Candidate is going to claim credit for any portion of the time served at their old program. In this case, a one-off program (i.e., “non-traditional” program) is created specifically for the relocating Candidate and is based on their remaining requirements. If the Candidate is going to restart their residency from the beginning, they may simply follow current processes to join an existing approved RTP.
 

To initiate an RTP relocation request, the following multi-step process must be followed by the Candidate, the current/previous PD/RA, the new Program Director (PD), the applicable RTC and CC and ACVIM staff (responsibility for each step is indicated below by bolded text). All documents and correspondence are to be facilitated by the ACVIM Central Office to ensure proper documentation, keep track of dictated timelines and provide official responses when necessary: Certification@ACVIM.org
Please expect no less than 90 days for the completion of the process

1. Identify a new program:
   1. The Candidate must identify a mentor (Program Director) who meets Certification Manual (CM) and Specialty Manual (SM) requirements and who is willing to accept the Candidate as a resident at their Sponsoring Institution. The ACVIM central office can provide advice on any programs with open spots, and the Specialty Ombuds are a resource for Candidates who need support in having a conversation with their current mentor regarding relocation. The Candidate is the responsible party for identifying and contacting any potential mentors. If the current Program Director (PD) supports relocation, they are heavily encouraged to assist the Candidate in finding a new mentor.
      1. CardiologyOmbuds@ACVIM.org
      2. LAIMOmbuds@ACVIM.org
      3. NeurologyOmbuds@ACVIM.org
      4. NutritionOmbuds@ACVIM.org
      5. OncologyOmbuds@ACVIM.org
      6. SAIMOmbuds@ACVIM.org
2. Document and submit intent to relocate and progress in current/previous program:
   1. The Candidate must submit a signed letter to the ACVIM central office which includes:
      1. Current date
      2. Addressed to the appropriate specialty RTC chair, the appropriate specialty CC chair and the new PD
         1. Current chairs can be found here.
      3. Declaration of intent to relocate
      4. Current/previous program and the current/previous PD
      5. New program and the new PD
      6. Date on which the residency ended (or will end) at the current RTP
   2. The current/previous PD must submit a signed letter to the ACVIM central office which includes:
      1. Current date
      2. Addressed to both the RTC chair and the CC chair of the appropriate specialty
      3. Declaration that they are aware of the relocation request
      4. Detailed outline of which portions of the residency have been completed satisfactorily and which remain to be completed
         1. if the PD is not the Candidate’s Resident Advisor (RA), this outline should be cosigned by the Candidate’s RA
         2. If there are some components that have been partially completed, e.g. the neuropathology component, the current PD (and RA) need to be specific about what portions of each requirement have been completed and what portions remain to be completed
   3. The Candidate must submit a current credentials form(s) signed by all required parties documenting approved time spent in original program (see list below for required form(s)).
      Note: If there is a conflict between what the Candidate feels they have successfully completed and what the current PD/SD/RA is willing to certify, the Ombuds may become involved again as a mediator.
      1. Cardiology: Logs
      2. LAIM: RTO Form
      3. Neurology: Weekly Schedule, Journal Club log and Neurosurgery log
         Nutrition: Weekly Schedule
      4. Onco: Weekly Schedules
      5. SAIM: Annual Progress Form (cumulative)
3. The ACVIM central office facilitates the first review to be conducted by the appropriate CC.
   1. CC has 45 days from the date all documents in step 2 are received to complete their review and return a decision to the ACVIM central office.
4. Apply for a non-traditional RTP
   1. Upon approval by the CC, the new Program Director has 30 days from the approval recommendation date to submit an application and applicable paperwork for a non-traditional RTP that includes:
      1. A unique program created specifically for the relocating resident designed based on meeting their outstanding requirements that were previously certified by the CC
      2. A detailed plan as to how all outstanding requirements will be met
         1. Process instructions and applicable forms found on the ACVIM website here.
5. The ACVIM central office facilitates the second review to be conducted by the appropriate RTC
   1. RTC has 45 days from the date all RTP application documents are received (or 45 days from the date of the approval recommendation from the CC if RTP application documents are submitted prior to the decision) by the central office to complete their review and return a decision to the ACVIM central office:
6. The Candidate may move to the new program once all applicable paperwork is submitted to the RTC for review. If the non-traditional program application and the relocation request are denied by the committee, any time spent in the new program will not count towards board certification. The Candidate is encouraged to wait to move to the new program until the non-traditional RTP application and Relocation Request paperwork has been approved. This will ensure that all the time spent in training at the new location is, in fact, counted towards completion of the training requirements.