FIT Resources

Fellows-in-Training Subcommittee
The Fellows-in-Training Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the ACR Committee on Training and Workforce Issues, consists of ten fellows-in-training members. The Subcommittee’s objectives are to organize the fellows’ educational sessions at the State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium and ACR Convergence, influence fellow-in-training volunteer opportunities, and enhance fellow-in-training educational resources.

If you are interested in applying for the Fellows-in-Training Subcommittee, the call for applications opens each year in September. Please review the FIT subcommittee description and eligibility for details and contact trainingandworkforce@rheumatology.org for additional information.

ACR Standing Committees
Fellow-in-training members can join ACR standing committees as full, voting members for one-year terms. Each standing committee organizes and establishes subcommittees and task forces as it deems necessary to carry out its objectives. The nomination/application process begins annually every spring.
See ACR Standing Committees

Contribute to RheumPAC
U.S members can contribute to RheumPAC, the ACR’s non-partisan political action committee which provides opportunities to educate Congress on the importance and value of rheumatology.
See RheumPAC Details

Write for The Rheumatologist
The Rheumatologist is printed monthly and reaches a circulation of over 11,500 rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals. The Fellows’ Forum is a column written by fellows, for fellows. FITs can submit case reports and articles on lifestyle, advocacy, fellowship, career development, clinical practice issues, etc. If you are interested in writing for the Fellows' Forum, please contact trainingandworkforce@rheumatology.org.
Read The Rheumatologist

Advocate for Rheumatology
The ACR advocates on behalf of rheumatologists and the rheumatology community through involvement in federal and state legislation and regulatory action, participation in hearings, and educating lawmakers on issues important to rheumatologists, health professionals, and patients.
Get Involved in Advocacy

Advocacy 101
Advocacy 101 is an initiative of the ACR Government Affairs Committee to engage, educate, and enhance the participation of FITs and program directors in health policy and advocacy issues. Every year, the ACR provides funding for a group of FITs and program directors to spend time in Washington, D.C. to learn about advocacy issues through the Advocacy 101 program. The experience culminates with a day on the Hill to meet with policymakers and educate them on issues relevant to our profession. The call for applications opens each year in the summer and the event takes place in September.
Sign Up to Receive Advocacy 101 Updates

Advocacy Information & Resources
Find out how you can help advance rheumatology both on the state and federal level. If you have questions about getting involved, contact advocacy@rheumatology.org.
See ACR Advocacy Efforts

Get Involved in ACR Guideline Projects

The ACR publishes highly influential, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines across multiple core topics in rheumatology. The ACR is moving toward a living guideline model in which new literature will be reviewed and recommendations updated more frequently to keep guidelines up to date. The Literature Review Team for each ACR guideline will include both experienced reviewers as well as fellow-in-training (FIT) and junior members.

Applicants selected for this program will:

• Be assigned to a literature review team based on the candidate’s topical interests and availability, then paired with a more experienced member of the Literature Review Team, who will serve as a coach and resource.
• Complete online orientation/training modules about ACR guideline development and methodology, including the processes of systematic literature review and evidence grading.
• Screen studies that are identified in periodic literature searches and extract, analyze, and summarize data from qualifying studies, with guidance from more experienced Literature Review Team members.
• Critically review and co-author updated guideline manuscripts.

Benefits to applicants include:

• Training in systematic literature review and guideline development, including critical appraisal of data published in scientific papers.
• Networking with rheumatology and other professionals involved in guideline development, most of whom are from outside their academic institution or local setting.
• Authorship on guideline manuscripts that result from this work, assuming high-quality and timely completion of assigned reviews.
• An ACR volunteer position as a member of an ACR Guideline Team to list on their CV.
• Satisfaction of ACGME requirements for scholarly work during fellowship.

Selected applicants will be asked to serve terms of at least 18 months, with the possibility of extending for longer terms. Preference will be given to those with career interests involving academia, clinical research, experience conducting systematic literature reviews, or experience in data synthesis or analysis, although such experience is not required.

Interested individuals should email the following information to ACR staff member Regina Parker (rparker@rheumatology.org).

1. A personal statement of interest from the applicant that includes:

• Commitment to a term of at least 18 months
• Career goals
• Disease and/or topic areas of interest (view the list of current ACR guideline topics)
• List of any prior experience with clinical research or literature reviews

2. CV

3. Letter of support from the Program Director that includes the following:

• Attestation that the FIT is in good standing
• Qualities the FIT has exhibited that will contribute to success in this role
• Commitment from the program to provide adequate time for the FIT to complete tasks
• Identification of an appropriate faculty advisor at the home institution who can meet periodically with the FIT, discuss how the program is going, and help the FIT navigate challenges (e.g., program director or another faculty member); this advisor does not need to have experience in research or guidelines, as the fellow will also be paired with a more experienced member of the Literature Review Team

Professional Communities
ACR fellow-in-training members can join our online FIT community and communicate any time to share information and exchange ideas.
See Professional Communities

The FIT Scholarship Eligibility Guide outlines the eligibility requirements and benefits of the FIT scholarship for ACR educational meetings. ACR notifies fellows-in- training by email when scholarships open.

Funding for fellow-in-training scholarships is made possible in part by support of the American College of Rheumatology Fellows Education Fund. Scholarships are reportable payments to physicians under the Physicians Payment Sunshine Act. See more information on the scope and contents of such reporting at cms.gov.

FIT Scholarship Eligibility Guide

The complete list of eligibility requirements for each of these meetings can be found in the FIT Scholarship Eligibility section above.

ACR Convergence
ACR Convergence, the ACR's annual meeting, is the world's premier educational event for physicians, healthcare professionals, and scientists who treat or research rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. It is attended by more than 15,000 rheumatology professionals from 100+ countries.
See ACR Convergence Details

Rheumatology Research Workshop (RRW)
The Rheumatology Research Workshop promotes interaction between young and established investigators to foster collaboration and career mentoring.
See RRW Details

State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium (SOTA)
The State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium exposes fellows-in-training to a range of content delivered by key opinion leaders in areas such as therapeutic developments, recent research findings, and scientific advances.
See SOTA Details

Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium (PRSYM)
The Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium occurs every three years and includes lectures, table topics, oral abstracts, and poster presentations in clinical, basic science, and educational training areas.
See PRSYM Details

Winter Rheumatology Symposium (WRS)
The Winter Rheumatology Symposium provides current, practical clinical information on the diagnosis and management of patients with rheumatic and immune disorders.
See WRS Details

Questions? Contact FITtravel@rheumatology.org

Board certification demonstrates that physicians have met rigorous standards through intensive study, self-assessment, and evaluation. See resources to learn more about certification and prepare for the boards.

ABIM Rheumatology Certification Exam Dates

ABP Pediatric Rheumatology Certification Exam Dates
Pediatric rheumatology boards are offered every other year in odd years

CARE Activities
Case-based, multiple-choice questions with in-depth answer rationales and links to suggested reading

Educational Activities
Explore ACR’s broad range of educational activities, including live meetings and online courses.
Explore Events & Programs

Rheum4Science
Rheum4Science online activities are for rheumatology fellows in training, medical students, residents, practicing rheumatologists, and other rheumatology providers interested in strengthening their understanding of basic scientific principles and clinical research methodology relevant to rheumatology.

Rheum4Science – Immunology

• Overview of Innate Immunity
• Toll-Like Receptors
• The NLRP3 Inflammasome
• Complement Pathways
• Fundamental Principles of B Cell Immunobiology
• T Cells - What Every Rheumatologist Needs to Know
• Neutrophils

Rheum4Science – Immunopathogenesis of Rheumatic Disease

• Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheum4Science – Clinical Research Methodology

• Data & Distribution
• Cohort Studies
• Randomized Controlled Trials

Rheum2Learn 2.0
These case-based, online activities are a useful resources for residents and internal medicine program directors during rheumatology rotation and rheumatology health professionals for self-study.

• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Systemic Sclerosis – New
• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Sjögren’s Disease – New
• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Inflammatory Myopathies
• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Osteoporosis
• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Pediatric Rheumatology
• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Rheum2Learn 2.0 – Infectious Arthritis

ACR Convergence
The American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting is the world’s premier rheumatology meeting with opportunities for professional development, networking, and the latest rheumatology research and clinical applications.
See ACR Convergence Details

RhMSUS™ Certification
Physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who perform ultrasound as part of their practice in rheumatology can demonstrate competency in musculoskeletal ultrasound and promote quality of care with the ACR’s Musculoskeletal (MSUS or MSK) Ultrasound Certification in Rheumatology (RhMSUS program).
See RhMSUS Certification Details

USSONAR
USSONAR is dedicated to the training of rheumatologists in musculoskeletal ultrasound.
See USSONAR Details

Image Library
The Rheumatology Image Library is an online library with a comprehensive collection of images on a wide range of rheumatology diseases and conditions.
Explore Image Library

Adult Rheumatology In-Training Exam
The Adult Rheumatology In-Training Examination (ITE) allows fellows-in-training to evaluate their progress and compare their results against national outcomes.
See Adult ITE Details

Certification
Learn about the Rheumatology Maintenance of Certification (MOC) exam, including key dates, exam content, scoring, and more.
See ABIM Certification Details

Now that you have decided on a subspecialty, let the ACR’s resources help you start your career with knowledge and confidence. Your journey through fellowship is an important time in your life to develop the foundation for your future. While every individual’s plans are different, we think you will find our career planning timeline and academic career and research funding roadmaps instrumental to your career development.

Career Roadmap
The Career Roadmap timeline is based on insights and guidance from academic leaders/investigators, practitioners, and fellows, to provide an overview of the fellows-in-training career development process.
See Career Roadmap

ACR CareerConnection
Start your job search now! The ACR’s CareerConnection service, supported by YM Careers is free to job seekers searching for opportunities in the field of rheumatology.
Access ACR CareerConnection

Research Resources
Explore general rheumatology research resources, learn about clinical trials and registries, access resources to guide clinical researchers in evidence-based practice. Also see information, resources, and funding opportunities for early career investigators.
See Research Resources

Rheumatology Research Foundation
The Rheumatology Research Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the United States.
See Foundation Resources

Awards & Grants
Check out programs funded by the Rheumatology Research Foundation to train the next generation of rheumatology professionals.
See Foundation Awards & Grants