# Referred to the Clinical Competency Committee: what it means and what to do Practical Guidance · Published 2026-06-11 · Resident Help **Short answer:** The Clinical Competency Committee (CCC) reviews every resident's evaluations at least twice a year and advises the program director on progress, including promotion, remediation, and dismissal. The program director decides. If you are referred or called to a meeting, ask in writing what concerns are under review and for the evaluations it will consider, ask for more time if notice is short, and respond in writing. A Clinical Competency Committee referral is often the first formal step on the path to remediation, probation, or dismissal. It is also one of the easiest points to get the record right. If you have been referred or called to a meeting, tell us the date: [start a confidential intake](https://www.residenthelp.org/intake). ## What the committee does The ACGME Common Program Requirements require every program to have a Clinical Competency Committee, appointed by the program director. It reviews every resident's evaluations at least twice a year, assesses progress on the Milestones, and advises the program director on each resident's progress, including promotion, remediation, and dismissal. The program director makes the decision. ## What a referral can lead to A committee discussion can end with nothing, an informal plan, a formal remediation plan, probation, or a recommendation of non-renewal or dismissal. Each carries different rights. See [what each word means](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/remediation-probation-non-renewal-dismissal-what-each-means). ## Before the meeting - Ask in writing what concerns are under review, and for the evaluations and incident records the committee will consider. - If notice is short, ask for more time and the documents. Notice can be as short as 48 hours. - Download your evaluations, milestones, and logs while you have access. See [get your file before you leave](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/get-your-residency-file-before-you-leave). - Gather the program's own favorable records: prior satisfactory evaluations, completed remediation, and praise from faculty. ## In the meeting Listen, take notes, and do not agree to anything on the spot. See [what to say in the first meeting](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/what-to-say-first-meeting-residency-program). ## After the meeting - Ask in writing for the committee's recommendation and the date it was made. - Submit a short, factual written response to any concern you dispute. - If a remediation plan follows, read it like a contract. See [put on a remediation plan](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/performance-improvement-plan-residency). - If the recommendation is dismissal or resignation, the clocks get short. See [deadlines you cannot miss](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/deadlines-after-residency-dismissal). ## If this is happening to you Facing a deadline from your program? Tell us what you have received and when your meeting is. We will review your situation confidentially and point you to the right next step: [start a confidential intake](https://www.residenthelp.org/intake). Resident Help is not a law firm, and submitting an intake does not create an attorney-client relationship. If your situation needs a lawyer, we will tell you and help you find one. ## Common questions ### What does a Clinical Competency Committee do? Under the ACGME Common Program Requirements, the CCC reviews all resident evaluations at least semiannually, assesses progress on the Milestones, and advises the program director on each resident's progress, including promotion, remediation, and dismissal. ### Does the Clinical Competency Committee decide whether I am dismissed? It advises. The program director makes the decision, under the institution's policies. A CCC recommendation is still a key document, so ask for it in writing. ### What should I do if I am called to a CCC meeting on short notice? Ask in writing what concerns are under review and for the evaluations the committee will consider, ask for more time if you need it, and submit a short written response. Do not agree to anything in the meeting itself. ## Sources - Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Common Program Requirements (Residency), 2025, https://www.acgme.org/globalassets/pfassets/programrequirements/2025-reformatted-requirements/cprresidency_2025_reformatted.pdf - Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Institutional Requirements, 2025, https://www.acgme.org/globalassets/pfassets/programrequirements/2025-reformatted-requirements/institutionalrequirements_2025_reformatted.pdf This post is general information and not legal advice. Institutional policies and board rules change, so confirm the version in force on your dates. ## Related guidance - [Put on a remediation plan or PIP in residency? What to do in the first week](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/performance-improvement-plan-residency): A PIP or remediation plan is not the end of your career, but the way you respond in the first week shapes everything that follows. Get the plan in writing, understand the criteria, and start your own file. - [What to say in the first meeting when your residency program raises a concern](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/what-to-say-first-meeting-residency-program): The first meeting about a concern often sets the record that every later decision relies on. Most of what helps is saying less, asking for documents, and putting your response in writing afterward. - [Remediation, probation, non-renewal, dismissal: what each word actually means in GME](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/remediation-probation-non-renewal-dismissal-what-each-means): Graduate medical education discipline runs on a ladder of terms that sound interchangeable and are not. Which word your program uses determines what rights attach, what gets disclosed later, and what to do next. ## Start here - [Questions residents ask, answered](https://www.residenthelp.org/faq): Short answers to every question our guides cover, from resignation offers and appeal deadlines to accommodations and visas. - [Know your rights as a resident](https://www.residenthelp.org/rights): What your program owes you under ACGME requirements, what federal law protects, and the first 72 hours. - [Court decisions on resident dismissal and probation](https://www.residenthelp.org/cases): Published opinions every resident should know before a probation, dismissal, or forced-leave decision. - [The free Residency Record](https://www.residenthelp.org/record): The documents every resident should keep, the dates that decide non-renewal, and a private place for both. --- Source: https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/clinical-competency-committee-referral-residency Publisher: Resident Help (https://www.residenthelp.org) This website provides general information and is not legal advice. Using this site or submitting a form does not create an attorney client relationship.