The University of New Mexico School of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery has achieved a significant milestone: full accreditation for its physician residency program from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The accreditation ensures that the state’s only neurosurgery training program will continue developing highly skilled specialists to serve New Mexico.
After initially receiving accreditation in 2022, the residency program underwent a rigorous site visit in September 2024. Following a thorough review, the ACGME granted the program “Continued Accreditation without Outcomes,” the highest possible status for a new program.
“We are pleased to have been granted continued accreditation. This recognition reflects the commitment and effort of our department and institution toward excellence in education and training,” said Christian Ricks, MD, the residency program director and an assistant professor of Neurosurgery in UNM’s School of Medicine.
“We have a very strong group of residents currently and anticipate expanding the cohort annually. We believe that we are preparing our trainees to deliver the highest quality of neurosurgical care to New Mexicans.”
The achievement is a major step forward for the state’s health care landscape, ensuring that New Mexicans have access to top-tier neurosurgical care. UNM operates the only neurosurgery residency program in the state, making its success essential to training future specialists and maintaining critical services.
“The neurosurgery residency training program is a foundational component of UNM Hospital’s Level I Trauma Program,” said Griffith Harsh, MD, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery.
“The residency enhances the faculty’s ability to respond quickly to acute presentations of neurologic disease or injury for which timely intervention is critical to patient outcome.”
The accreditation is also a victory for the university’s broader mission to expand the state’s physician workforce. Training programs like UNM’s neurosurgery residency play a vital role in recruiting and retaining doctors in the region.
“Having an ACGME-accredited residency training program is an important contribution to our School meeting its mandate to expand New Mexico’s physician workforce,” Harsh said. “Those who train here are more likely to remain in the state. Furthermore, the academic emphasis of a neurosurgery training program improves the quality of patient care, fosters both clinical and more basic scientific discovery, and enhances the learning environment for all.”
The program has permission to expand the number of residents by one annually, until it reaches seven, after which it can propose further growth. New Mexico’s need and the hospital’s opportunity to train more neurosurgeons is clear. UNM receives more than 200 applications each year for its single first year residency position.
"We currently have four excellent residents highly committed to caring for the underserved of the state in accord with the highest standards of the profession," Ricks said. “The department is grateful to UNM Hospital and the university for the resources needed to reestablish the residency, including superb mid-level providers, additional faculty, and access to facilities.”
As UNM’s neurosurgery residency moves forward with full accreditation, its impact on the state will continue to grow, ensuring that New Mexicans have access to high-quality, life-saving neurosurgical care.