We’re thrilled to announce that applications for the REACH 2.0 Scholar and Near Peer Programs are officially open! Supported by SAMHSA’s Minority Fellowship Program, REACH 2.0 offers an unparalleled opportunity to gain mentorship, leadership training, and hands-on experience in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry.
This is your chance to:
Ready to strengthen your addiction medicine knowledge and prepare for certification? ACAAM offers powerful resources designed by experts to help you succeed:
The ACAAM Question Bank, reviewed and revised for 2025, is an online tool designed to help you prepare for the ABPM exam and strengthen your clinical decision-making. It features 186 evidence-based questions across all 17 ABPM content areas and offers a flexible study mode so you can learn at your own pace. You’ll get instant access to answers, references, and explanations, plus unlimited access whenever you need it.
Are you ready to take your research career to the next level? ACAAM is excited to highlight the VA Interprofessional Advanced Fellowship in Addiction Treatment (IAFAT)—a two-year, post-residency/post-doctoral program offering unparalleled research, education, and clinical learning opportunities at VA Medical Centers nationwide. Fellows dedicate 75% of their time to research and education and 25% to clinical care, gaining the skills and experience needed to become leaders in addiction treatment. IAFAT is actively recruiting now! Don’t miss the Applicant Information Session on October 29, 2–4 pm ET.
In addition to IAFAT, ACAAM offers a range of programs designed to strengthen your research expertise and advance your career. Explore opportunities like RAMS, REACH, LEAD, and CHERISH, each tailored to develop future leaders in addiction medicine and health equity. Discover all of our research career development programs and find the right fit for your professional journey!
This September, communities nationwide honor Recovery Awareness Month—a time to celebrate individuals in recovery and the communities that support them. At ACAAM, we’re investing in the next generation of addiction medicine leaders through education, advocacy, and equity-driven programs.
You can help shape the future of compassionate, evidence-based care:
ACAAM remains' steadfast in our mission to support our dedicated members and advance addiction medicine through collaboration, advocacy, and education. Together, we are making meaningful progress:
Fellow Lightning Round – Fellows can showcase research, case reports, and innovations. Eligible to apply? Submit a proposal by March 14 to participate in the May 28 virtual Fellow Lightning Round session.
In this new video, addiction medicine professionals share why they love practicing addiction medicine and the deep fulfillment that comes from guiding patients on their recovery journey. If you’ve ever wondered what makes addiction medicine such a meaningful field, this video offers a heartfelt glimpse into the lives of those dedicated to healing and hope.
January marks the inaugural Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month—a nationwide initiative led by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at SAMHSA. This month is dedicated to raising awareness about the effectiveness of evidence-based treatments and breaking down the barriers to recovery.
ACAAM Fellows, enhance your training in adolescent substance use care with a one-week Pediatric Addiction Medicine Rotation at Boston Children’s Hospital. This immersive program includes 16 hours of clinical telehealth with a multidisciplinary team, virtual rounds, research meetings, and access to valuable educational resources.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain specialized skills in a unique, supportive environment. Spots are limited—learn more and apply today!
Application Deadline Upcoming for Additional Funded GME Slots
Section 126 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2021, makes available an additional 1,000 FTE resident cap slots phased in at a rate of no more than 200 slots per year beginning in fiscal year 2023. The deadline for institutions to apply for these slots for the 2024-25 academic year, which can be used for Addiction Medicine Fellowship slots, is March 31, 2023.
The Boston Children’s Hospital Pediatric Addiction Medicine Fellowship is taking applications from fellows in other addiction medicine programs (deadline January 6, 2023) for one-week virtual learning experiences in the first half of 2023 (January-May).
Because of the particular challenges posed by the cognitive and developmental changes that mark adolescence, treatment for adolescent substance use requires a distinctive approach that recognizes and respects adolescents’ desire for independence while understanding the special vulnerabilities of this period of life.
ACAAM Member Fellow-Only Virtual Convening
November 1, 1:30 - 3:30 pm EDT
Addiction medicine fellows (ACAAM Members) are invited to join a virtual convening to learn about addiction medicine careers. Louis E. Baxter, Sr., MD DFASM DABAM, will present, "Careers in Addiction Medicine: What Can I Do Within My Specialty?". This presentation will include an overview of career options within the field, many of which you have probably not even thought about. Dr. Baxter's presentation will be followed by small group networking.
Check your email for your link! We hope to see you there.
Dear Colleagues,
The American College of Academic Addiction Medicine (ACAAM) is built from our members’ determination and passion for advancing academic addiction medicine. With our first year of membership coming to a close, we are so grateful for your energy, ingenuity, and focus to create a healthier future for those across this nation who need high-quality substance use care.
ACAAM is a proud partner in REACH (REACH: Recognizing and Eliminating disparities in Addiction through Culturally informed Healthcare), which is supported by a federal grant to the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.
Minority candidates for 2023-24 Addiction Medicine fellowships are encouraged to apply for the REACH Scholar program, which provides funding as well as additional training, mentorship and scholarly activity.
Anticipation is building for the ACAAM Addiction Medicine Fellowship Recruitment Fair. The virtual 90-minute event will get under way with a welcome from ACAAM President Jeanette Tetrault, MD. Following a presentation on addiction medicine training by ACAAM Vice President for Medical and Academic Affairs Timothy Brennan, MD, MPH, the remainder of the fair will be a learning and networking opportunity where participants can visit fellowships at individual breakout “tables.” Residency programs across the nation have been invited to have their residents attend. Thank you to the program directors in the ACAAM Pipeline Task Group for helping plan the event.
Two national leaders in addiction research will return to give the opening remarks for the 2022 Virtual Addiction Medicine Fellowship Graduation. Nora Volkow, MD, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, will join George Koob, PhD, Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in celebrating the Class of 2022, along with family, friends, faculty and others. Drs. Volkow and Koob, who have both been instrumental in advancing Addiction Medicine, also spoke at last year’s virtual graduation. Following their remarks, this year’s graduates will be recognized in a virtual procession of individual slides as ACAAM leaders announce their names.
DATE:
February 17, 7:30 PM EST/4:30 PM PT
Even as the recruitment season for the 2022 academic year continues, Addiction Medicine fellowships are beginning to look toward the next application cycle. Two closely related themes top the agenda: getting the word out to potential candidates and improving the process for applicants and fellowships alike.
At the latest ACAAM Virtual Town Hall on November 18, program directors, faculty, and coordinators gathered to begin discussing next steps. The meeting came exactly one month after the offer period for 2022 positions opened for most fellowships participating in the Common Decision Date. The Common Date plan provided a 3-month window of “protected time” so applicants could fully explore their options and programs could complete interviews before offers started.
With the offer period for 2022-23 fellowship positions now open, a number of fellowships are expected to continue taking applications on a rolling basis until they have filled. We will post a Recruitment Directory indicating which programs these are as soon as we receive updates from the fellowships later this week.
Fellowship candidates should be aware that 48-hour response deadlines will be the norm when the majority of programs begin making offers for 2022-23 positions on October 18 at 7:00 PM Eastern. Guidance for candidates and fellowships alike is available under the Fellowship Resource Center.
ACAAM recently sat down with Randall Brown, MD PhD, Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Brown is also the University of Wisconsin’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship program director, having established the program in 2010 and overseen its initial accreditation in 2011.
Dr. Brown has played an important role in the evolution of addiction medicine and ACAAM. He served on the committee that wrote the Program Requirements in 2016–17 that were adopted by ACGME, and he was President of the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Directors Association in 2018 during the period that led to the establishment of ACAAM.
