Adapting to Complexity in Medical Education (ACME) is a program evaluation tool that helps medical educators identify what’s working, pinpoint areas for improvement, and adapt their programs in real time. It delivers feedback and guidance tailored to each program’s unique needs.
The ACME Tool transforms program evaluation into an interactive experience, guiding educators through planning and evaluating processes with resources.
The tool is built on established principles from medical education and complexity theory. It provides continuous feedback, adapts to change, and supports ongoing improvement aligned with how learning happens in real-world situations.
Programs don’t stand still and your evaluation shouldn’t either.
A continuous model reflects how learning really works: ongoing, responsive, and built for change.
The ACME Tool helps you bring clarity to complex planning by prompting you to consider key program elements that are often overlooked.
Evaluate your program to uncover what’s working, what’s not, and make informed decisions about effectiveness, resource use, and future direction.
Use evaluation results to guide program decisions — whether it's scaling, improving, or retiring components that no longer support learners.
"The needs of a medical education program are different from those of generic education programs."
Anonymous ACME Study Participant
Collaborating with leading institutions to shape the future of medical education.
University of Calgary
University of Calgary
We’re here to help you shape your program — free of charge, full of support.
The University of Calgary, located in the heart of Southern Alberta, both acknowledges and pays tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation within Alberta (Nose Hill Métis District 5 and Elbow Métis District 6).