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Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
ACS
ACS Accredited Education Institutes

Setting the Standard of Excellence and Innovation

AEIs lead the way in training surgical teams through world-class, simulation-based education.

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Setting the Standard of Excellence and Innovation

Advancing Patient Safety and Surgical Excellence Through Simulation

Established in 2005 by the ACS Division of Education, the ACS-AEI Program continues to lead the way in setting the highest standards for simulation-based surgical education and training. We are committed to delivering the highest-quality surgical education through rigorous accreditation, expert-driven methodology, and a dedication to continuous improvement.

Our mission is to:

  • Promote patient safety through the effective use of simulation,
  • Support lifelong learning for surgeons, trainees, and healthcare professionals,
  • Expand access to cutting-edge surgical education, and
  • Foster innovation and scholarship in simulation-based surgical training.

Why ACS-AEI Accreditation Matters: Strengthen, Sustain, and Showcase Surgical Education Excellence

Becoming an ACS-Accredited Education Institute (AEI) is a powerful way to demonstrate your center’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and patient safety in surgical education. Here’s why accreditation is a valuable investment:

  • Recognition of Excellence
    ACS-AEI accreditation positions your center as a leader in simulation-based surgical education. It signals to learners, faculty, and institutional partners that your programs meet rigorous national standards and are committed to continuous improvement.
  • Enhanced Educational Quality
    Accredited centers gain access to a wealth of resources in curriculum design, faculty development, and more. These resources help elevate the quality and consistency of your educational offerings.
  • Collaboration and Networking
    As part of the AEI Consortium, your center joins a global network of multidisciplinary professionals. This community fosters collaboration, sharing of best practices, and opportunities for joint research and innovation in surgical education.
  • Support for Lifelong Learning
    AEIs are at the forefront of advancing simulation-based education, supporting the ongoing development of surgeons, residents, medical students, and other healthcare professionals.
  • Access to Exclusive Opportunities
    Accredited centers shape the content of the annual ACS Surgical Simulation Summit, contribute to multi-institutional research, host hands-on ACS surgical skills courses, and apply for fellowship program accreditation—opportunities available only to AEIs.
  • Demonstrated Commitment to Patient Safety
    By aligning with ACS standards, your center reinforces its dedication to improving patient outcomes through high-quality, simulation-based training.

News

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A national team comprised of surgeons from AEIs and anesthesiologists are calling for more collaboration between simulation and health care quality professionals to improve patient safety and quality of care. This call to action was published in Simulation in Healthcare and the Joint Commission Journal of Quality and Patient Safety.

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.

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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.

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Questions?

If you have questions about the Accreditation Education Institutes Program, please contact us.