The Association for Surgical Education

Impacting Surgical Education Globally

The deadline for submission is January 8, 2021

Undergraduate Academic Program Administrators must work extensively with both the Surgery Clerkship Directors and undergraduate medical students. This collaboration directly impacts not only the efficiency of day-to-day operations of the undergraduate surgical education programs, but also the student experience while on the surgical clerkship.  In an effort to identify individuals who embody the professionalism required of this crucial academic position, the ASE Academic Program Administrator Certification in Surgery (APACS) was created to recognize the value and expertise of Surgical Academic Program Administrators at the national level.

Program Goals:

  • Promote excellence in the field of undergraduate surgical education administration.
  • Support the expansion of the specific knowledge base and expertise of the coordinator.
  • Provide a widely recognized certification program that is attainable and encourages continual participation and professional growth.
  • Encourage attendance at the annual Association for Surgical Education meetings.
  • Increase opportunities for presentations by undergraduate Academic Program Administrators.

Program Objectives:

  • Acknowledge and recognize the expertise of undergraduate Academic Program Administrators through a robust, simple certification process attainable with travel to national conferences.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to undergraduate Academic Program Administrator development by encouraging committee and sub-committee involvement, ASE national meetings attendance, and conducting departmental, institutional, or ASE national presentations.
  • Promote excellence in the field of undergraduate surgical education administration by encouraging an understanding of professional development through the creation and maintenance of a portfolio of accomplishments.
  • Encourage Academic Program Administrators to seek out knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of public speaking in order to skillfully contribute during the ASE Coordinator Track Program.
  • Motivate coordinators to adopt a practice of continual growth and encourage participation on committees or in activities at the candidate’s home institution.

Requirements for Certification:

  1. Applicants must be active ASE member. To check your member status, contact [email protected]. Click here to apply for ASE membership.
  2. CV/Resume/Photo
  3. Letter of Recommendation from the Clerkship Director
  4. Minimum of one (1) presentation during annual ASE Coordinator Track Program
  5. Completion of a reflective essay to demonstrate professional growth as a result of the certification (minimum 2 pages, double-spaced, 12 point Times Roman Font)
  6. A total of 12 or more credits

Credit System Criteria: 
A. 2 credits per year for being in the role of Clerkship Coordinator (max. 6 credits)
B. 1 credit for each presentation given during the annual ASE Coordinator Program Track
(at least one 1 required)
C. 1 credit each for:

  • ASE Coordinator Committee (Chair or Vice-Chair)
  • ASE Coordinator Sub-Committee Chair
  • Attendance at annual ASE Coordinator Program Track (max. 3 credits)
  • Departmental, institutional, or non-ASE national presentation (max. 3 credits)
  • Hold a leadership role on a committee within coordinator’s institution
  • Professional development: attend qualifying workshops or seminars (max. 3 credits)
  • Published educational research articles and/or abstracts

D. 0.5 credit each for:

  • Active participation in a clerkship coordinator sub-committee
  • Active participation in the clerkship coordinator Mentoring Program as Mentor or Mentee
  • Facilitating a Hot Topic, Round Table or Panel discussion at ASE Coordinator Program Track
  • Participate as an active member of a committee within a coordinator’s institution
  • Professional development: online learning modules, webcasts, etc.
  • ASE Clerkship Coordinator Recognition Award or other awards related to the coordinator’s role

Please note, a fee of $200 is required with each application. 

Submit Application Here

Re-certification will be required after three years. 

Submission of Portfolio:
– Application
– CV/Resume/Photo
– Letter of recommendation from Clerkship Director
– PowerPoint presentation slides for any departmental, institutional, ASE or non-ASE presentations
– Reflective Essay
– Supporting documents

Requirements for Re-certification:

Please provide supporting evidence of the below requirements via an electronic portfolio:

  1. Applicants must be an active ASE member and have three consecutive years of experience in undergraduate surgical education administration since certification or their last re-certification
  2. CV/Resume
  3. Minimum of one (1) year as an active member and/or chair of an ASE Coordinator Sub-Committee
  4. Minimum of one (1) best practice presentation during annual ASE Coordinator Track Program
  5. Completion of a one-page reflective essay about an experience demonstrating continued professional growth. ( double-spaced, 12 point Times Roman Font)
  6. A total of 12 or more credits:

Credit System Criteria:

  • 2 credits per year for being in the role of Clerkship Coordinator (max. 6 credits)
  • 1 credit for each presentation given during the annual ASE Coordinator Program Track (at least one 1 required)
  • 1 credit each for:
    • ASE Coordinator Executive Committee (Chair, Vice-Chair, or Secretary)
    • ASE Coordinator Sub-Committee Chair
    • Attendance at annual ASE Coordinator Program Track (max. 3 credits)
    • Departmental, institutional, or non-ASE national presentation (max. 3 credits)
    • Hold a leadership role on a committee within coordinator’s institution
    • Professional development: attend qualifying workshops or seminars (max. 3 credits)
    • Accepted abstracts for Poster or Paper Presentation
    • Published Educational Research Articles
  • 0.5 credit each for:
    • Active participation in a clerkship coordinator sub-committee
    • Active participation in the clerkship coordinator Mentoring Program as Mentor or Mentee
    • Facilitating a Hot Topic, Round Table or Panel discussion at ASE Coordinator Program Track
    • Participate as an active member of a committee within a coordinator’s institution
    • Professional development: online learning modules, webcasts, etc.
    • ASE Clerkship Coordinator Recognition Award or other awards related to the coordinator’s role
    • Participation in a LCME site visit or internal review
  • Fee of $100 submitted with re-certification application. Secure, online payments can be made via website

Please submit all documentation here.

  1. Re-certification Application
  2. CV/Resume
  3. PowerPoint Presentation Slides
  4. Reflective Essay
  5. Credit System Checklist with supporting documents

Levels of Re-certification:

In an effort to encourage APACS members to work towards re-certification, a tiered certification system was developed to highlight the time and effort administrators put forth towards continued professional development.

Level 1 – APACS Certifications – First certification cycle

Level 2 – APACSSR – Sr. Certification – Second certification cycle

Level 3 –  APACSM – Master Certification – Third and final certification cycle

In addition, once an administrator meets the Master Certification level, they will be exempt from further re-certification requirements.

Applications for Certification and Re-Certification will be due January 8, 2021

APACS Re-certification Application 

For any questions, please email the ASE office at  [email protected].