The VGMET form is the standardized Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training document that a residency or fellowship program director completes to confirm a physician finished training. Once signed, the same form can be reissued to every hospital, employer, or credentialing body that later asks for proof of your training, so you generally only need it completed once per program.
It was developed jointly by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Hospital Association, the National Association Medical Staff Services, and the Organization of Program Director Associations to replace the individual verification letters credentialing offices used to request one at a time.
Who Actually Fills It Out
This is the detail most physicians get wrong: you do not complete the VGMET yourself. The program director at your training institution does.
For physicians who finished training after 2016, the program director fills out the form once at the time the trainee completes an internship, residency, or fellowship, then places the signed original in the trainee’s file. When a hospital or credentialing office later asks for verification, the program issues a photocopy along with a signed cover letter attesting that it accurately reflects the record.1American Hospital Association. Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training Form – Background and Instructions
If you trained before 2016, the form gets completed the first time a verification request arrives. The current program director, who often is not the person who oversaw your training, reviews your file and fills out the VGMET based on what the records show. After that initial completion, the same photocopy-and-cover-letter process applies to every future request.1American Hospital Association. Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training Form – Background and Instructions
A separate VGMET is required for each training program you completed. A preliminary year, a core residency, and a fellowship at three different institutions means three separate forms from three different program directors.
What the Form Documents
The VGMET has three sections. Section I is the core verification, Section II is space for comments, and Section III is the program director’s signed attestation. Section I asks the program director to document:
- Your full name, date of birth, and National Provider Identifier.
- Specialty or subspecialty, program ID number, and whether accreditation was through ACGME, AOA, or another body.
- Start and end dates for each phase of training (preliminary program, core residency, and fellowship, as applicable).
- Whether you successfully completed the program.
- Whether you were subject to restrictions beyond the normal training regimen, involuntary leave, suspension, non-promotion or non-renewal, dismissal, or resignation.
- Whether you demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to practice independently upon completion.
- Whether the program endorsed you as qualified to sit for the specialty’s board certification exam. If not, the program director must indicate why (for example, you were a preliminary resident, left before completion, or no board exam exists for the subspecialty).
Section II gives the program director room to explain any “yes” answers on the disciplinary questions or add context for anything unusual. Section III is where the program director signs, prints their name, lists their GME title and credentials, and provides a phone number and email for follow-up.1American Hospital Association. Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training Form – Background and Instructions
Because the program director signs the attestation, the disciplinary questions are designed to surface training issues early rather than have them discovered later through a National Practitioner Data Bank query or a reference check. If your training record includes an adverse action, the better approach is to let the program director accurately report it and use Section II for context.
How to Request Your VGMET
In most cases, the credentialing office that needs the verification handles the request. NAMSS describes the standard workflow as downloading the fillable VGMET, sending it to the practitioner’s training program, and saving the completed form into the credentialing system for future reference.2NAMSS. Verification of Graduate Medical Education Training The fillable PDF is available on the American Hospital Association’s website.
Your job as the physician is to make sure the credentialing office has accurate current contact information for the GME office at each institution where you trained. Program directors and administrative staff change over time, so contact details you used years ago may be outdated. Track down the current mailing address, phone number, and email for each GME office before the request goes out.
If your program has already completed a VGMET for you in the past, the office should have the original on file and can issue a photocopy with a fresh cover letter relatively quickly. If this is the first time anyone has asked, expect the process to take longer because the current program director has to pull your records and complete the form from scratch.
Some training programs charge an administrative fee to process verification requests. Fees vary by institution and can run roughly $75 to $125 per program. Ask the GME office about fees and turnaround time before the credentialing office sends the request so there are no surprises.
If Your Training Program Has Closed
When a residency or fellowship no longer exists, the Federation of State Medical Boards maintains records for many closed programs and provides training verification on their behalf. The FSMB has confirmed with JCAHO, NCQA, URAC, and state medical boards that its verification meets primary-source verification requirements, and it issues all closed-program verifications in the VGMET format.3FSMB. GME Closed Programs FAQ
Fees depend on who submits the request:
- A physician requesting directly pays $100 per program. The fee covers submission of an official primary-source equivalent document to designated state medical boards, and the physician can download a digital copy for future credentialing needs.
- A credentialing organization pays $60 per program per verification destination, and a physician authorization form is required.
Requests go through the FSMB’s website. If you know your program has closed, tell your credentialing specialist early so the FSMB request can be opened before it holds up the rest of your file.4FSMB. Physicians and Credentialing Organizations
Using the VGMET for VA Credentialing
The Department of Veterans Affairs requires credentialing through VetPro for all licensed independent practitioners before granting clinical privileges at a VA medical facility, and training verification through the VGMET or equivalent primary-source documentation is one component of that process.5Department of Veterans Affairs. VHA Directive 1100.21 – Credentialing and Privileging
VHA Directive 1100.21 suggests that VA facilities allow a minimum of four months to process privilege requests from start to finish. If your training program is slow to respond, the VA credentialing coordinator may ask you to follow up with the GME office yourself. Clinical privileges at the VA are granted for up to three years, and re-privileging requires updated credentialing, so keep copies of your completed VGMET so it can be reissued quickly at each renewal.
Do not confuse the VGMET with VA Form 10-2850d. That form is the Application for Health Professions Trainees, used by trainees applying to VA-affiliated residency or fellowship programs, not by practicing physicians verifying past training for employment.6Veterans Affairs. VA Form 10-2850d – Application for Health Professions Trainees
Two Things the VGMET Is Not
The VGMET is not a VA-only document. Hospitals, health systems, managed-care organizations, and government agencies across the country accept it as the standard method of training verification. Any organization that credentials physicians can request one.
It is also not the right document for state medical licensure. If you need training verification for a medical license application, the VGMET instructions direct you to the Federation Credentials Verification Service form instead.