The ACP Guided Fellowship Program provides early career physicians with guidance toward attaining ACP Fellowship within three years.
About ACP Fellowship

Fellowship in the College is an honor. Early career physicians attain ACP Fellowship in order to show their commitment to becoming leaders within internal medicine and their workplaces. Attaining the FACP® (Fellow of the American College of Physicians) credential distinguishes internal medicine physicians from their peers and is recognition of accomplishments and achievements over and above the practice of medicine. The most important considerations for ACP Fellowship are excellence in the contributions made to both medicine and to the broader community.
Fellows are authorized to use the letters FACP in connection with their professional activities for as long as their membership remains current. ACP Fellows have the right to vote, hold office, and sponsor applicants for Membership and Fellowship.
Program Description
The ACP Guided Fellowship Program provides early career physicians with guidance toward meeting the requirements for ACP Fellowship over a three-year program time period. This program, available only to physicians at the end of residency training, provides a framework — along with guidance from established ACP leaders — for advancement to ACP Fellowship through the completion of professional development activities.
Requirements for ACP Fellowship
The requirements for Advancement to ACP Fellowship include:
- Board certification
- Continuing education
- Teaching (institutional and community-based)
- Hospital committee work
- Volunteer and community service
- Engagement in ACP activities at the chapter and/or national level
- Having scholarly work published
- Serving in leadership roles within the workplace
ACP Guided Fellowship Program participants are given a personalized Progress Dashboard (only works for active participants). This dashboard should be used to keep track of these and other activities over a three-year period, earning points along the way.
Progress Review
The ACP Credentials Committee will review your activities throughout the program and provide written guidance and recommendations for you to consider in the coming year. Your chapter ACP Governor will engage you in College activities and additionally help guide you through this program. After three years, and the successful completion of the requirements, you will be advanced to ACP Fellowship through the approval of your ACP Governor. All other application materials are waived.
Timeline for the ACP Guided Fellowship Program
Year 1
January |
Program welcome communications and webinar orientation |
July |
Participants update progress dashboard with activities by July 15 |
November |
ACP Credentials Committee reviews program progress and makes activity recommendations as needed |
Year 2
January |
Participants receive a progress update via letter |
July |
Participants update dashboard with activities by July 15 |
November |
ACP Credentials Committee reviews program progress and makes activity recommendations as needed |
Year 3
January |
Participants receive a progress update via letter |
July |
Participants update dashboard with activities by July 15 |
November |
ACP Credentials Committee reviews candidates for program completion. ACP Governors approve qualified candidates for advancement to FACP. |
December |
Approved candidates are elected to ACP Fellowship and invited to the upcoming Convocation Ceremony. |
Program Overview: Achieving FACP through ACP Guided Fellowship (Video)
Achieving the FACP credential is a significant milestone for post-training physicians—one that shows leadership and commitment to excellence in the practice of medicine. In this video recording, Saba A. Hasan, MD, FACP, provides a brief but comprehensive overview of ACP's three-year Guided Fellowship Program. Learn how the Guided Fellowship Program will help you advance professionally while providing you with opportunities for deeper engagement within the internal medicine community.
Enrollment Information
Applications for the January 2023 cohort will be accepted through November 15, 2022. To be eligible to enroll, you must have completed residency training on or before June 30, 2022, and your membership must be renewed through June 30, 2023. If you have questions, please contact us at guidedfacp@acponline.org.
For additional information, review FAQs or contact us at guidedfacp@acponline.org.