Accreditation and Reaccreditation Information
All data submitted must be from the Academic Year (July 1 - June 30). The completed application will be reviewed by the Program Accreditation Committee (Chair, Co-chair and 2 committee members). The applicant institution will be notified of the names of the reviewers and are asked to cooperate with the reviewers' requests for additional information if necessary.
If the application is from a program not previously accredited, or if the accreditation has lapsed, a site visit to the applicant institution must be arranged for the reviewers. The ASTS National Office will work with both the institution and the reviewers to organize the site visit. The applicant institution is expected to develop an itinerary that is mutually acceptable with the reviewers' goals and objectives.
Direct expenses associated with travel to the site visit are borne by the applicant institution. The ASTS National Office will invoice the applicant institution after the site visit and payment is due after the application ruling is determined by the Transplant Accreditation & Certification Council. If the application is a renewal from an institution previously accredited, a site visit is not mandatory, and will be at the discretion of the reviewers.
The reviewers will submit a detailed report to the Transplant Accreditation & Certification Council and will recommend whether the program meets the requirements for approval, whether additional information is necessary, or whether the application should be disapproved.
The function of the Program Accreditation Committee is one of support to the Transplant Accreditation & Certification Council and the committee will provide only recommendations.
If the program is granted approval by the Transplant Accreditation & Certification Council. The Transplant Accreditation & Certification Council will announce the decision directly to the applicant institution via letter. That communication will serve as documentation of the approval as well as the date approval was granted, the conditions under which approval is granted and the duration of the approval.
It is not essential nor even desirable that all institutions adopt exactly the same content and structure of their programs, but it is necessary that all programs meet the essentials for approval and demonstrate that they can provide a high quality of education through the clinical experience provided to the trainee.