Accredited Education Institutes

Enhancing Patient Safety and the Quality of Surgical Care through Simulation

Launched by the ACS Division of Education in 2005, the ACS-AEI Program continues to set standards for simulation-based surgical education and training.

Our goal is to promote patient safety by using simulation, to support the lifelong learning of surgeons, surgical trainees, and other healthcare professionals, to enhance access to contemporary surgical education, and to advance scholarship in simulation-based surgical education.

Accredited Education Institutes

ACS Surgical Simulation Summit

Save the date for the ACS Surgical Simulation Summit, March 20-21, 2025. Registration opens in December.

Benefits of Accreditation

Interact with other multidisciplinary professionals worldwide on the AEI Community to seek support for the delivery of your education and training programs
Share best practices in the areas of curriculum design, assessment, faculty development, research, and technology with centers at the forefront of simulation-based surgical education and training
Jointly advance scholarship and educational goals through multi-institutional research studies and collaborative projects

Value of Joining the Consortium

ACS-AEI accreditation is a demonstration of quality and a commitment to patient safety that provides real value.

Pursue innovative surgical education and training of surgeons, surgical residents, medical students, members of the surgical team, and other healthcare professionals
Be recognized as a world-class ACS-AEI where learners utilizing your facility will receive high-quality simulation-based surgical education and training
Enhance your program based on national standards and accreditation requirements
Benchmark and demonstrate your value using our annual report that highlights data important to simulation programs
Access cutting edge and contemporary simulation-based surgical education through the annual Surgical Simulation Summit, products, toolkits, webinars, podcasts, articles, and presentations
Attract and train the next generation of surgical simulation leaders through fellowship program accreditation, available exclusively to AEIs

Accredit Your Simulation Center

There are two categories of accreditation that may be sought: Comprehensive and Focused. The requirements for space, facilities, and personnel are higher for Comprehensive AEIs compared to Focused AEIs; however, both Comprehensive and Focused Education Institutes must meet rigorous standards for accreditation and undergo a robust multi-level review process.

Learn more

Accredit Your Simulation Fellowship Program

The ACS-AEI Fellowship Program was established to improve the quality of surgical care by developing future leaders and scholars in the area of surgical education, simulation, and training. Only AEIs are eligible to apply for fellowship accreditation.

Learn more

AEI Consortium

The AEI Consortium is a network of institutes that offer global opportunities for collaboration, research, and access to resources.

AEI Calendar

If you are looking for CME activities, view the AEI CME Calendar to see what other AEIs have planned.

AEI Resources

AEI Committees have compiled resources for administration, communications, education, faculty development, technology and simulation, and more.

Leadership of the ACS AEI Program

The leadership of the ACS-AEI Program ensures that accreditation is awarded through a rigorous process implemented by the Accreditation Review Committee (ARC). The other activities of the Consortium are led and supported by standing committees, workgroups and taskforces, all of which provide practical educational products in specific content areas to assist members in their pursuit of excellence.

Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC, FSACME, MAMSE

Director, Division of Education, American College of Surgeons

Consultants

Carlos A. Pellegrini, MD, FACS, FRCSI(Hon), FRCS(Hon), FRCSEd(Hon), FWACS(Hon), MAMSE

Richard M. Satava, MD, FACS

Core Staff

Kathleen A. Johnson, EdM

Assistant Director

Catherine Sormalis

Senior Manager

Karrington Butler

Program Administrator

Additional Staff Support

Patrice Gabler Blair, MPH

Associate Director

Setting the Standard of Excellence and Innovation

Find an Accredited Education Institute

Find an AEI-Accredited Fellowship Program