Code of conduct for participation in the AAES Comprehensive Clinical Fellowship Match (Programs)
To ensure a fair and equitable process for applicants and programs, the following principles will be adhered to by clinical fellowship programs, Fellowship Program Directors, and interviewers.
- The AAES fellowship match will include all programs accredited for clinical fellowships by the AAES Accreditation Committee. One standing exception will be for the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran.
- Participation in the AAES Fellowship Match
- Programs who wish not to participate in the match and/or programs approved for >1 clinical position who wish to match only 1 position must notify the Chair of the AAES Fellowship Committee prior to the start of the application process for that academic year (see Ib, above).
- Programs that wish to offer a year of fellowship training to a participant of another fellowship program at that institution (i.e. Surgical Oncology), will be required to withdraw from the match for that academic year.
- After the start of the application process, requests for a change in a program’s participation status secondary to unforeseen circumstances will require documentation of circumstances and approval by the Chairs of the Fellowship Committee, Accreditation Committee, and AAES leadership.
- Failure to do so may result in a program being prohibited from participation in future Match year(s), at the discretion of the AAES leadership.
- Principles for Communication with applicants.
- Programs are encouraged to acknowledge receipt of an applicant’s application in a timely manner.
- Programs will extend interview invitations or rejections at any time during the application process, but final notification of the status of an application must be given within 15 calendar days of the application close date.
- Programs will provide a fair interview process:
- This will include an overview of the program and an opportunity to meet with faculty, current fellow(s), and/or residents of the General Surgery program involved during the fellowship year.
- Applicants will be required only to attend the interview itself; attendance at any pre- and post-interview events will not be required.
- All participants in the interview process should refrain from asking coercive questions regarding age, gender, religion, and/or sexual orientation.
- Interest in a candidate may be expressed by a program / Program Director, but applicants should not be asked to disclose ranking preferences or elicit specific comments about other programs that the applicant has applied to.
- Programs should not pressure an applicant to reveal its place on the applicant rank list.
- Programs should not, prior to the match, guarantee an applicant that they will match at that program.
- Programs may not offer a position to an AAES-fellowship applicant outside of the official AAES match.
- Post-interview communication with applicants should not be required. Any communication from programs that is intended to disingenuously influence the applicant's rank preference is prohibited.
