Program Letter of Agreement (PLA)

What is a Program Letter of Agreement (PLA) and what is its purpose?

“PLAs provide details on faculty members, supervision, evaluation, educational content, length of assignment, and policies and procedures for each required assignment that occurs outside of an accredited program’s Sponsoring Institution. These documents are intended to protect the program’s residents/fellows by ensuring an appropriate educational experience under adequate supervision.”

For more detailed information and guidance, see the ACGME Common Program Requirements FAQ on Program Letters of Agreement.

 

When are PLAs required?

The ACGME states, “there must be PLAs between an accredited program and all participating sites to which residents/fellows rotate for required education or assignments” and “are required to be renewed every 10 years.”

• Required education experience/ rotations = 1 month equivalent/ FTE (Rotation Requests)
• Elective Rotations – Visiting Trainees
• Visiting Trainees

 

How do I know if a rotation is required or not for my specialty? 

Visit the your specialty board for more details.

 

The institution Program Letter of Agreement (PLA) template is found in the New Innovations Intranet