Building the academic foundation for urgent care medicine through rigorous research, evidence-based education, and the development of the next generation of urgent care professionals.
Important notice: The Society for Academic Urgent Care Medicine (SAUCM) is an independent professional and educational organization. SAUCM fellowship programs are independently developed educational initiatives not currently accredited, certified, endorsed by any governmental, or accrediting body.
About SAUCM
SAUCM (Society for Academic Urgent Care Medicine) is a professional society founded to establish the academic, research, and educational standards for urgent care medicine in the United States. The society supports clinicians and institutions through a peer-reviewed journal, a competency-based fellowship program, research funding opportunities, and advanced clinical decision tools — advancing urgent care as a true academic specialty.
Most urgent care organizations focus on clinical practice or workforce issues. SAUCM is uniquely focused on the academic infrastructure of the specialty — including peer-reviewed scholarship, competency-based fellowship training, AI-integrated clinical education, and a $2.5M research funding agenda. SAUCM is for clinicians who want to advance the specialty, not just practice it.
SAUCM was established in 2026 (Est. MMXXVI) by Izhar Hasan, MD, PhD, alongside a founding leadership team of urgent care physicians committed to advancing the specialty. The inaugural scientific meeting is planned for Fall 2026, and the Annals of Academic Urgent Care Medicine journal launched in Spring 2026.
Accreditation & Credentials
The SAUCM Fellowship is an independent educational and professional development program designed using competency-based educational principles derived from publicly available Medical Education Standard frameworks. The fellowship is not currently accredited by Medical Education Standard, CUCM, or UCA. SAUCM is actively pursuing Medical Education Standard recognition as part of its Phase 3–4 roadmap, with a goal of full Medical Education Standard accreditation by 2027.
Depending on the track completed, fellows earn SAUCM-issued credentials recognizing competency-based achievement:
The curriculum is designed using publicly available Medical Education Standard competency frameworks, mapping content across all 7 Medical Education Standard domains — Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Systems-Based Practice, Interpersonal Communication, and Professionalism — with progressive milestone tracking throughout the program. This is a curriculum design choice; it does not imply Medical Education Standard approval or accreditation.
Fellowship Tracks & Structure
AUCM-E · 3 months Covers the top 10 urgent care presentations; 24 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits. Ideal for clinicians new to UC or those needing formal credentials with limited scheduling availability.
AUCM-X · 6 months Covers 25+ conditions across specialty areas; 48 CME credits; includes telemedicine certification. For practitioners expanding scope or preparing for the 12-month track.
AUCM-C · 12 months Full-scope academic fellowship with QI project, research track and 72+ CME credits. For physicians who want to lead and advance the specialty.
Yes. The fellowship is designed as a hybrid virtual + clinical program. Online curriculum modules, case quizzes, and most assessments are accessible asynchronously at approximately 4–6 hours per week. Clinical rotations must be completed through a participating SAUCM member institution. SAUCM is actively partnering with founding institutions to enable fellows to complete rotations locally.
Eight rotations totaling 36 weeks of structured clinical experience: Urgent Care Clinical Service (16 weeks), Emergency Medicine (4 weeks), Pediatric Urgent Care (4 weeks), Orthopedics/Sports Medicine (4 weeks), Radiology/Imaging (2 weeks), Occupational Medicine (2 weeks), Telemedicine/Digital Health (2 weeks), and Quality Improvement/Administration (2 weeks).
Yes. The program is designed with full credit portability. Fellows can upgrade from AUCM-E to AUCM-X, or from AUCM-X to AUCM-C, at any time by paying only the price difference. No work is repeated.
SAUCM uses validated, programmatic assessment tools rather than informal feedback: monthly Mini-CEX clinical evaluations, continuous procedure logging (DOPS), quarterly Tele-OSCE simulations, biannual 360° multi-source feedback, monthly AI-assisted chart audits, and case-based module quizzes with a 70% advancement minimum. The 12-month track also requires a complete QI project or research study.
Join us
Be part of building academic urgent care medicine
Founding institution positions are limited. Only 15 of 30 seats remain — closing December 31, 2026.