The New York State Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) met in March to discuss various initiatives for the medical education community. COGME, which is comprised of medical education leaders from hospitals across the State, makes GME and physician workforce recommendations to the New York State Department of Health.
During the plenary session, GNYHA presented on a grant-funded project supported by the New York State Health Foundation that develops training opportunities for primary care residents at local social service agencies. GNYHA also discussed a social determinants of health curriculum published last fall.
The Office of Professional Medical Conduct discussed its purview in investigating allegations of misconduct among physicians (including residents) and gave timelines for physician profile submissions and updates. The New York University (NYU) School of Medicine highlighted its accelerated three-year MD program, which first matriculated in 2013 and now includes 15% of its medical student population. NYU also discussed plans for a branch campus at NYU Winthrop on Long Island, which will focus on developing a pipeline of primary care physicians. The State University of New York at Buffalo and Northwell Health described plans to use their recent awards from the Doctors Across New York (DANY) Ambulatory Care Training Program.
COGME members also received updates on several GME and workforce programs. While DANY and the Primary Care Service Corps will be reauthorized in the 2018–19 State budget, the Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program (ECRIP) may be eliminated in favor of the New York State Life Sciences Initiative. If eliminated, all ECRIP projects in the first year of funding will receive full first year funding, but will need alternate sources of funding for the second year.