Purpose
It shall be the purpose of the Resident/Fellow Council to allow all residents/fellows from within and across the Sponsoring Institution’s ACGME-accredited programs to communicate and exchange information with peers relevant to their ACGME-accredited programs and their learning and working environment; to serve as a resident/fellow advocate and voice throughout the hospital, university and community; to provide resident/fellow representation as it pertains to university affairs; to provide a mechanism for all residents/fellows to raise concerns.
Officers
- President
- Shall preside over all the meetings of the Resident/Fellow Council.
- Shall represent the Resident/Fellow Council on various committees throughout the hospital and university or delegate such responsibilities as he/she sees fit.
- Shall fulfill the responsibilities of any offices left vacant or appoint replacement personnel until the next election.
- Shall prepare the meeting agenda.
- Shall attend the Graduate Medical Education committee (GMEC) Executive Committee meetings chaired by the Designated Institutional Official (DIO) and present business items and any concerns arising from the Resident/Fellow Council meetings.
- Shall attend the GMEC meetings and present business items and any concerns arising from the Resident/Fellow meetings.
- Vice-President
- Shall take the place of the president if the president cannot fill the needed responsibilities.
- Shall represent the Resident/Fellow Council on various committees throughout the hospital and university or delegate such responsibilities as the Vice President sees fit.
- Shall attend the GMEC meeting.
- Secretary
- Shall be responsible for the procurement of the Resident/Fellow Council meeting minutes.
- Shall attend the GMEC meetings.
Other Leadership Positions
- Wellness Chair
- Shall plan and communicate GME-wide social gatherings for all available and interested residents/fellows to attend.
- Shall attend the GMEC Subcommittee for Wellness meetings.
- Shall attend the GMEC meetings.
Terms and Elections
Nominations shall be submitted at a Spring meeting of the Resident/Fellow Council and preferably shall be made up of current members of the Resident/Fellow Council.
Elections of officers and other leadership positions shall be by the Resident/Fellow Council vote. Confidential balloting shall be used, and a majority required to attain the office. Any vote receiving 51% of the votes of members in attendance (or electronically) is considered approved.
Terms of office will run from July 1 through June 30 each academic year.
Membership
The President serves as Chair. The Resident/Fellow Council will report to the GMEC.
- The members of the Resident/Fellow Council shall be made up by representatives of each of the ACGME accredited medical, Non-Standard Training (NST) recognized programs, and CODA accredited dental residency/fellowship training programs. Medical students and instructor-fellows enrolled in non-ACGME accredited training programs will not be members of the Resident/Fellow Council.
- Each program, including programs located at UAB’s regional campuses, shall receive one representative seat for fourteen (14) residents/fellows currently enrolled in their program. Every program will have a minimum of one seat on the Resident/Fellow Council.
- Representatives must be peer-selected. The notification of the number of representatives allocated to each program shall be sent to each program by the GME Office each year, usually in July. The notification will include the date of the first meeting. Programs submit their program’s peer-selected representatives back to the GME Office.
Frequency
The Resident/Fellow Council meets monthly, except meetings are not usually held in July. Meetings shall be held on the second Tuesday of every month, beginning in August of each academic year. The meetings schedule is sent at the beginning of the academic year by email. In addition, the notification of each meeting will be given at the prior meeting. Any change in the meeting date shall be communicated by email. Changes to frequency of scheduled meetings must be approved by the majority of the Resident/Fellow Council members.
Quorum
At any meeting, seven (7) members shall constitute a quorum. If a quorum is not achieved, an email vote on time-sensitive initiatives may occur. The results of the vote will be reported during the next Resident/Fellow Council meeting and by email.
Any vote receiving 51% of the votes of members in attendance (or electronically) is considered approved.
Attendance
Attendance shall be kept at each meeting by a GME Office staff member who provides administrative support.
Agenda
The President is responsible for establishing the monthly meeting agenda. The GME Office may connect hospital, university, and community individuals that request to communicate with the Resident/Fellow Council for consideration on the agenda.
The DIO attends at the beginning of the meeting to share updates, answer questions, and discuss any concerns raised by the representatives.
Any updates from Resident/Fellow Council Committees are standing agenda items.
A portion of each meeting is reserved so that the Resident/Fellow Council can have the option to conduct a portion of their meeting without the DIO, faculty members, or GME Office staff present.
Minutes
Minutes shall be kept at each meeting by the Secretary, will be shared with all Resident/Fellow Council members through email following the meeting, and will be filed in the GME Office. The minutes must document the communication and exchange of information between peers relevant to ACGME-accredited programs, the learning and working environment, and the opportunity to directly raise concerns to the forum without the DIO, faculty, or other administrators, and GME Office staff present.
Committees and Executive Council
The Resident/Fellow Council Officers are voting members of the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC).
The Resident/Fellow Council shall select resident/fellow-representatives to join the GMEC and send peer-selected resident/fellow representatives to the GME Office. Selected representatives are voting members.
Resident/Fellow Council Committees shall be appointed by the President. Each Committee will update the Resident/Fellow Council on their activities at regularly scheduled meetings.
The Executive Council shall be made up of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Wellness Chair.
References
Institutional Requirements ©2025 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
2.3. Resident/Fellow Forum
Resident/Fellow Council Approved Date: May 12, 2026
GMEC Approved Date: June 2, 2026
Next Review Date: Spring 2027