# Who to contact above your residency program director Practical Guidance · Published 2026-08-05 · Resident Help **Short answer:** Above the program director are the designated institutional official (DIO), who oversees all of the sponsoring institution's programs; the graduate medical education office; the Graduate Medical Education Committee; and human resources for employment matters. Put concerns in writing to the right office and keep a copy. Outside bodies, such as the ACGME, address program compliance rather than individual disputes. A concern raised with the wrong person may count as never raised at all. Many residents raise a concern verbally with their program director, hear nothing back, and later find there is no record that they raised it at all. Others try to go higher, send the message to the wrong person, and get no reply or referral. Learn who your offices are before you need them. Tell us what you need to raise: [start a confidential intake](https://www.residenthelp.org/intake). We will help you find the right office. ## The offices above your program - **The designated institutional official (DIO).** The person who, with the Graduate Medical Education Committee, oversees all of the sponsoring institution's accredited programs. - **The graduate medical education (GME) office.** Usually the practical first stop above the program. It administers policies, grievances, and records. - **The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC).** Oversees programs institution-wide and includes resident members. - **Human resources.** For employment matters, including leave, pay, benefits, and accommodations. - **Resident or house staff organizations.** Some institutions have a resident council or union with its own contacts. Find the names in your GME handbook or policies. Write them down now. ## Put it in writing, to the right office - Keep it factual: what happened, when, and who was present. - Say what you are asking for. - Send it to the named office, not to a general inbox or a colleague. - Keep a copy outside your institutional account, and note the date. - If you get no reply, follow up in writing, so the silence is on the record. ## Outside bodies: awareness only The ACGME accepts reports about whether programs meet accreditation requirements, but it does not decide individual employment disputes. Discrimination charges with a government agency have their own strict deadlines. Whether to use either is a decision for counsel. See [what each avenue can and cannot do](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/acgme-non-compliance-report-vs-eeoc-charge-residents). ## If a concern came before an adverse action Keep the message you sent and any absence of a reply. Write down what happened after. See [the patterns we see](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/patterns-in-residency-dismissals). ## If this is happening to you Facing a deadline from your program? Tell us what you need to raise and what has happened so far. 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 ### Who do I report my residency program director to? Usually the designated institutional official (DIO) or the graduate medical education office of your sponsoring institution. For employment issues, human resources. Find the names in your institution's GME policies or handbook, and put the concern in writing. ### What is a designated institutional official? The DIO is the individual at a sponsoring institution who, with the Graduate Medical Education Committee, has authority and responsibility for oversight of all of its ACGME-accredited programs. ### Will raising a concern get me in trouble? The ACGME expects sponsoring institutions to give residents a way to raise concerns without intimidation or retaliation. Keep your message factual, keep a copy, and note the date. Anything adverse that follows soon after is worth writing down. ## Sources - 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 - [ACGME report or EEOC charge? What each one can and cannot do for a resident](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/acgme-non-compliance-report-vs-eeoc-charge-residents): Residents facing dismissal hear about two outside avenues: a report to the ACGME and a charge with the EEOC. They do different things, on different clocks, and neither is a substitute for the internal deadlines already running. - [Put on administrative leave during residency: a checklist for the first 72 hours](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/administrative-leave-residency-first-72-hours): Administrative leave often arrives with no letter, no policy cited, and no return date. What you do in the first three days decides what the record says later. This is the checklist. - [Your institution has to have a written grievance and due process policy. Find it today.](https://www.residenthelp.org/blog/acgme-requires-a-grievance-and-due-process-policy): Accredited sponsoring institutions are required to maintain written policies for resident grievances and for adverse actions. The version in force on your dates is the document your case turns on. ## 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/who-to-contact-above-your-residency-program-director 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.