Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
FAQ: How do we add a site for our fellowship?
You can add a site to your fellowship in the yearly annual report. Keep in mind that participating sites for all CAST subspecialty fellowships must be within 50 miles of each other to ensure the fellow is given the best educational experience supported by their Fellowship Program Director and Core Faculty. Be prepare to provide reasoning for the site as well as the case numbers for that site.
FAQ: What happens if our program doesn’t submit an annual report?
With the annual report now offering continuous accreditation, if you don’t submit an annual report your program will go on immediate probation with the accreditation fee still due. If that fee isn’t paid within the deadline set for the program, and/or the annual report is not submitted on time the following year, the program will lose accreditation.
FAQ: We want to increase our complement. How do we do that?
You are able to request a complement increase in any annual report. To be approved for the increase, you must have the institutional cases to support the additional fellow (for instance if approved for 1 and you would like 2, you must have 2X the institutional cases), and the current fellow must have achieved all case minimums.
FAQ: We didn’t have a fellow this past year. Do we still need to submit an annual report?
Annual Report submission is required each year to maintain CAST accreditation WHETHER OR NOT you have a fellow. If you didn’t have a fellow for the academic year you are reviewing, you will only need to submit your institutional numbers. Even if you aren’t planning on having a fellow, your program still need to show that you have enough institutional cases to support your residency as well as maintain your fellowship.
FAQ: Can we count CPT codes for filling out our case log?
Ensure you aren’t using CPT codes for case numbers to ensure an accurate case log submission in new or Annual Report applications.
FAQ: When my fellow graduates, will they be “CAST Certified?”
No they will not be “CAST Certified.” Fellows that graduate from a CAST Accredited fellowship are able to receive a diploma or letter from their program that states they have graduated from a CAST accredited fellowship. CAST fellowship graduates are not “CAST Certified.” Programs are welcome to use the CAST logo in the design/format of their document, choosing for what they want to give to their graduating fellows.
FAQ: Are we able to estimate our case numbers?
When entering your case log numbers into any CAST application, it is important that exact case numbers are used and you are not estimating. Case log numbers should not all be ending in multiples of five or ten.
FAQ: To participate in a CAST fellowship, do residents need to have graduated from an ACGME accredited residency program?
No. For international fellows, program are able to accept qualified residents into their fellowship if they have graduated from the ACGME accreditation equivalent in their home area. Additionally, programs are at liberty to accept fellows form DO programs as well if they feel they are qualified. Of note, if it is a subspecialty that has a pathway to RFP, the RFP requirements are defined by ABNS, not CAST.
FAQ: When does a program have to start doing annual reports?
If you are approved for a CAST fellowship you will submit your first annual report the following year. For example, you are approved spring of 2023 cycle. You will fill out your first annual report in the summer of 2024 that reviews the 2023-2024 academic year, whether you had a fellow or not.
FAQ: When can we offer someone our fellowship?
Starting in 2023, a CAST fellowship cannot be offered to a fellow until after the completion of their PGY3 year.
FAQ: What is a program complement?
Your program complement is how many fellows can graduate in any academic year. That does NOT include anyone in a prerequisite year or first year of a two year fellowship.
FAQ? Why are support letters from the Chairs of Radiology and Neurology required for new applications and annual report in Neuroendovascular
The NESAC Committee requires letters of support from Neurology and Radiology, as well as Neurosurgery because all three specialties influence the CNS Endovascular subspecialty. Since CAST CNS Endovascular fellows can be neurosurgeons, neurologists, or radiologists, it is important that your program has support of all three of those specialties for your CAST fellowship.
FAQ: Why are Cerebrovascular institutional case numbers required on new Neuroendovascular applications?
By including the Cerebrovascular case numbers, as well as the Endovascular numbers, provides a snapshot of the entire Cerebrovascular activity of the program, which allows the the Endovascular cases to be seen in a larger context. They are not required for Annual Report applications.