Built for Program Directors
GME Consulting for Program Directors
"You became a physician to take care of patients. Running a residency program wasn't in the job description."
Program directors carry an enormous load — clinical responsibilities, resident oversight, faculty management, ACGME compliance, and administrative demands that never stop. Most program directors didn't train to be educators or administrators; they trained to be physicians. Axis Academic Consulting works with program directors who want expert support navigating the educational and regulatory demands of running a residency or fellowship program — without having to become a GME specialist themselves.
What we hear from program directors
"ACGME compliance feels like a moving target"
Requirements change, citations arrive unexpectedly, and it's not always clear what 'meeting the standard' actually looks like in practice. Most program directors don't have the time to stay current on every requirement across every section of the program requirements document.
"Faculty don't give meaningful feedback or assess milestones accurately"
Getting busy attending physicians to observe residents, document assessments, and rate milestones accurately is one of the hardest parts of running a program. Rating compression, incomplete evaluations, and reluctance to have difficult conversations are universal challenges.
"The CCC process feels subjective and hard to defend"
Clinical Competency Committee decisions need to be evidence-based and defensible — both to ACGME surveyors and potentially in legal contexts. Many programs struggle to build a CCC process that produces confident, documented decisions.
"Site visits are stressful and the preparation is overwhelming"
Whether it's a scheduled review or an unexpected visit, the preparation process is intense. Most program directors don't know where to start, what surveyors actually look for, or how to identify gaps before ACGME does.
How Axis Academic Consulting helps
ACGME Compliance Consulting
Gap analysis, self-study preparation, citation response, and site visit prep — done with you, not handed to you as a generic framework.
Faculty Development Programs
Curriculum design and facilitation that turns your faculty into effective evaluators and teachers — with documentation that satisfies ACGME requirements.
GME Operations Review
A structured assessment of your program's operational systems that surfaces gaps before surveyors find them.
"Program directors who work with Ashley consistently describe the same experience: they came in feeling overwhelmed by the regulatory complexity of GME and left with clarity about exactly what needed to happen, in what order, and who was responsible for it."
— Ashley Wood, PhD, on working with program directors
Frequently asked questions
How much time will this take from me as program director?
Ashley designs engagements to minimize burden on program directors. Most work happens with the coordinator or in focused working sessions. The goal is to give you better outcomes with less time spent, not to add another project to your list.
Can you help me build a CCC process that's actually defensible?
Yes — this is one of the most common requests from program directors. Ashley works with programs to build evidence-based CCC processes that produce milestone ratings surveyors and lawyers can both stand behind.
I've never had a citation before. Do I still need compliance support?
Proactive programs consistently outperform reactive ones in site visits. A gap analysis before a visit — not after a citation — is the most cost-effective compliance investment a program can make.
Start with a free call
30 minutes. No pitch. Just a real conversation about what your program is working through.
Book a Free CallReady to talk about your program?
Ashley works directly with Program Directors across the country. Start with a free 30-minute call.
Schedule a Free Call