Resident and Fellow Educational and Professional Development Fund Policy

The Resident and Fellow Educational and Professional Development Fund is designed to support University at Buffalo (UB) residents and fellows employed by University Medical Resident Services, P.C. (UMRS) and provide outstanding education opportunities, training and experiences. The fund supports reimbursement for education or professional development expenses including, but not limited to, travel or conference expenses, textbooks, United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 3 registration, American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) board exam registration (for portions completed during residency), board review courses, board preparation materials, and a one-time allotment for a computer or smartphone. This policy aligns with Article XVII of the 2024 UMRS-UAPD Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The fund will utilize State funds to cover reasonable and appropriate educational and professional development expenses incurred during training. Residents and fellows requesting reimbursement must ensure that the expenses are legitimate, and comply with applicable training program, departmental and UB Procurement policies. Each training program must implement checks and balances to ensure all expenditures meet the university’s interests and funding requirements. This policy supersedes any less restrictive department-level guidelines. Requests must be approved by the program and the University at Buffalo Graduate Medical Education (UB GME) office, with justification provided. Once a request is completed and accepted by the UB GME office, UB GME will disburse funds within 30 calendar days.

The Resident and Fellow Education and Professional Development Fund is supported by the Jacobs School of Medical and Biomedical Sciences (JSMBS).

• Travel or conference expenses
• Textbooks
• USMLE Step 3 registration
• ABMS board exam registration (for portions completed during residency)
• Board review courses or preparation materials
• A one-time allotment for a computer or smartphone
• Others only with approval of the training program and UB GME, in accordance with UB policies

The annual reimbursement limit per resident is $2,000, covering all approved expenses.

• Reimbursement requests must be for a minimum of $10 per request. Multiple reimbursements can be combined to meet this minimum.
• Alcoholic beverages are not reimbursable.
• Parking at the official workstation (hospital, clinic, etc.) is not reimbursable (although parking incurred during approved travel is eligible for reimbursement).
• Reimbursement for sales tax will only be considered if unavoidable. Efforts must be made to use the New York State sales tax exemption, ST-119.1.
• All reimbursement requests must be submitted within 120 days of purchase to be eligible for processing.
• Requests will be paid via Automated Clearing House (ACH), requiring the requestor to provide bank account information.
• To ensure payment, Residents and Fellows in their final year of training must submit all reimbursement requests at least one month ahead of their graduation date.

The reimbursement process is detailed in the application form.

• Completed application form, signed by program director or designee
• Original receipts or itemized invoices
• Supporting materials (e.g., brochures, agendas)
• Bank account information for ACH

UB GME has the right to refuse requests due to insufficient justification, frequency of exception requests, lack of reasonable notice by the requestor, or their judgment on the reasonableness of the exception.

Graduate Medical Education Office 955 Main Street, Suite 7230

Buffalo, New York 14203-1121

Phone: 716-829-2012

Fax: 716-829-3999

ubgmeresfund@buffalo.edu

Web: Office of Graduate Medical Education - Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences - University at Buffalo

Established: January 2025

Reviewed by GMEC: January 205