Save The Merger

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I'm glad that my representative voted in favor of the merger before we were even told the details. What is odd is that several of the resolutions regarding the merger were not included in the document sent to us by our representatives, while most of the other resolutions were.

Do you have a link to the text of the resolutions approved by the NOSC?

They're probably trying to hide the truth from you.

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AOA House of Delegates Votes to Support Single GME Accreditation System

Delegates representing the nation’s more than 104,000 osteopathic physicians and osteopathic medical students voted today to support a decision by the AOA Board of Trustees to pursue a new, single accreditation system for graduate medical education.

This historic vote during the annual meeting of the AOA House of Delegates comes after an announcement in February that the AOA, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) had reached an agreement to work together to prepare future generations of physicians.

When fully implemented in July 2020, the new system will allow graduates of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools to complete their residency and/or fellowship education in ACGME-accredited programs and demonstrate achievement of common milestones and competencies.

The AOA strongly believes the public will benefit from a single standardized system to evaluate the effectiveness of GME programs for producing competent physicians. Through osteopathic-focused residency programs, the new GME accreditation system will recognize the unique principles and practices of the osteopathic medical profession and its contributions to health care in the U.S.

For more information on the single GME accreditation system, visit www.osteopathic.org/singleGME.
 
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I thought the previous date was sometime in 2015? Why did they change it to 2020 all of a sudden?
I'm sad now :(
 
I thought the previous date was sometime in 2015? Why did they change it to 2020 all of a sudden?
I'm sad now :(

Transition period is 2015-2020. Nothing has changed.
 
curious to see when MDs can start applying to AOA residencies.
 
I thought the previous date was sometime in 2015? Why did they change it to 2020 all of a sudden?
I'm sad now :(

This original date for the merger, the first time, put the date at 2015, IIRC. That deal fell through about a year ago. The ACGME, AOA, and AACOM went back to the table and announced in February of this year that they had come to a new agreement. This time with more available details, which hadn't been specified earlier but which were widely assumed to be a part of the original MOU... for example, the fact that here would be a transitional period from 2015-2020 where residencies would apply for "pre-accreditation status" and that MDs would have access to DO residencies.
 
AOA House of Delegates Votes to Support Single GME Accreditation System

Delegates representing the nation’s more than 104,000 osteopathic physicians and osteopathic medical students voted today to support a decision by the AOA Board of Trustees to pursue a new, single accreditation system for graduate medical education.

This historic vote during the annual meeting of the AOA House of Delegates comes after an announcement in February that the AOA, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) had reached an agreement to work together to prepare future generations of physicians.

When fully implemented in July 2020, the new system will allow graduates of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools to complete their residency and/or fellowship education in ACGME-accredited programs and demonstrate achievement of common milestones and competencies.

The AOA strongly believes the public will benefit from a single standardized system to evaluate the effectiveness of GME programs for producing competent physicians. Through osteopathic-focused residency programs, the new GME accreditation system will recognize the unique principles and practices of the osteopathic medical profession and its contributions to health care in the U.S.

For more information on the single GME accreditation system, visit www.osteopathic.org/singleGME.
So the merger has been saved. All because of this thread, I'm sure.





(Not srs)
 
So the AOA HoD has passed a resolution in support of the merger. It also says that they will monitor harmful effects that may happen that have been raised by opponents of the merger.

Resolution H-800 has been passed by the AOA HoD apparently. These are the resolution points below. For the full thing, go here: http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-a...-meeting/house-resolutions/Pages/default.aspx.

9 RESOLVED, that the AOA will monitor and evaluate the transition process with respect to:
10 1) The ability of AOA-trained and certified physicians to serve as program directors in
11 ACGME osteopathic residency programs;
12 2) The maintenance of smaller, rural and community-based training programs; and
13 3) Recognition of the importance of osteopathic board certification exams as a valid
14 outcome measure of the quality of residency programs with osteopathic recognition;
15 and be it further
16 RESOLVED, that the AOA House of Delegates expresses its support for the AOA’s entry into
17 a single accreditation system that perpetuates unique osteopathic graduate medical 18 education programs.
 
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So the AOA HoD has passed a resolution in support of the merger. It also says that they will monitor harmful effects that may happen that have been raised by opponents of the merger.

Resolution H-800 has been passed by the AOA HoD apparently. These are the resolution points below. For the full thing, go here: http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-a...-meeting/house-resolutions/Pages/default.aspx.

9 RESOLVED, that the AOA will monitor and evaluate the transition process with respect to:
10 1) The ability of AOA-trained and certified physicians to serve as program directors in
11 ACGME osteopathic residency programs;
12 2) The maintenance of smaller, rural and community-based training programs; and
13 3) Recognition of the importance of osteopathic board certification exams as a valid
14 outcome measure of the quality of residency programs with osteopathic recognition;
15 and be it further
16 RESOLVED, that the AOA House of Delegates expresses its support for the AOA’s entry into
17 a single accreditation system that perpetuates unique osteopathic graduate medical 18 education programs.

Can you please tell me if there is a way to differentiate between whether the resolutions listed on this webpage have been approved/rejected/voted on?
 
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There are more votes, or things will be moving forward and tidying up the details regarding residency?
 
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AOA approved it. Looks like everyone can stop screaming about the sky falling now.

Cue Guhs comment in 3... 2.... 1....
Yeah, sorry for asking to see the resolutions voted for by my representative. How pretentious of me.
 
This original date for the merger, the first time, put the date at 2015, IIRC. That deal fell through about a year ago. The ACGME, AOA, and AACOM went back to the table and announced in February of this year that they had come to a new agreement. This time with more available details, which hadn't been specified earlier but which were widely assumed to be a part of the original MOU... for example, the fact that here would be a transitional period from 2015-2020 where residencies would apply for "pre-accreditation status" and that MDs would have access to DO residencies.

That timeline is not anything new and was a part of the original deal from 2 years ago when it was first mentioned on this forum by yours truly (hockey doc too). So nothing about the timeline changed.
 
So this means that nothing can stop the merger now and "Save OGME" is pretty much history?
 
Anyone of the three in this deal can back out until the fat lady sings.

I can also replace Lee as the Lord and King of SDN. I *could*. But the path I've set myself on the last few years argues against that possiblity and it will be hard to overcome that. my most recent decision will be hard to overcome as well.

Most recent decision: @Lee is a doo-doo head.

It's sort of like that.
 
Can you please tell me if there is a way to differentiate between whether the resolutions listed on this webpage have been approved/rejected/voted on?

I don't think there's any way to see that until they publish the results, maybe sometime today or later this week. That said, I was told by someone in the know that H-800 had passed in support of the merger, but that it was modified with additional points, probably some from other H-8xx resolutions.
 
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^That is correct.

Originally H-800 to 812 or so were all related to single accreditation. The special reference committee combined language from the other resolutions in that section in support of the single accreditation, including language from the SOMA resolution. The other supporting and opposing resolutions (<- from the ACOFP) were all recommended by the committee to be discarded after the language was finalized on H-800.

H-800 was up first, and after proposed amendments by the ACOFP were disapproved, it was passed as amended by the special reference committee. The subsequent resolutions were quietly disapproved up until H-812 from the ACOFP, in which their delegate gave a brief and dignified speech indicating their intention to support the decision of the AOA, which was received with a standing ovation. H-812 was then disapproved.

All in all it was an incredible day for our profession and to those who have suggested that they are better suited to stay out of the AOA, I challenge you to reconsider that position. The AOA HOD voted overwhelmingly in favor of unification and the dissent regarding this resolution was on the basis of protecting current OGME programs from closing and protecting the rights of AOA certified PD's to continue serving as PD's once their programs have made the transition. To suggest that the AOA does not take the opinions and needs of their future graduates seriously could hardly be farther from the truth. Dr. Vinn has had the students in his ear throughout the process and is a true steward of our profession.
 
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Wow, this is pretty much exactly what I expected to happen, and its good to know that our representation in the AOA is listening, even when a minority voices a concern. Regardless of which side you individually agree with, that's a good sign.
 
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The AOA HOD voted overwhelmingly in favor of unification and the dissent regarding this resolution was on the basis of protecting current OGME programs from closing and protecting the rights of AOA certified PD's to continue serving as PD's once their programs have made the transition.
Thanks for the recap. Did any of the resolutions passed by the HOD directly address either of these two issues?
 
^That is correct.

Originally H-800 to 812 or so were all related to single accreditation. The special reference committee combined language from the other resolutions in that section in support of the single accreditation, including language from the SOMA resolution. The other supporting and opposing resolutions (<- from the ACOFP) were all recommended by the committee to be discarded after the language was finalized on H-800.

H-800 was up first, and after proposed amendments by the ACOFP were disapproved, it was passed as amended by the special reference committee. The subsequent resolutions were quietly disapproved up until H-812 from the ACOFP, in which their delegate gave a brief and dignified speech indicating their intention to support the decision of the AOA, which was received with a standing ovation. H-812 was then disapproved.

All in all it was an incredible day for our profession and to those who have suggested that they are better suited to stay out of the AOA, I challenge you to reconsider that position. The AOA HOD voted overwhelmingly in favor of unification and the dissent regarding this resolution was on the basis of protecting current OGME programs from closing and protecting the rights of AOA certified PD's to continue serving as PD's once their programs have made the transition. To suggest that the AOA does not take the opinions and needs of their future graduates seriously could hardly be farther from the truth. Dr. Vinn has had the students in his ear throughout the process and is a true steward of our profession.

So the OSTEO1st stuff (essentially POMAs resolution H-804 and 7) was essentially pushed aside? They seemed to have put a lot of $ into that.
 
So the OSTEO1st stuff (essentially POMAs resolution H-804 and 7) was essentially pushed aside? They seemed to have put a lot of $ into that.
Correct. All of the state association and SOMA resolutions were submitted with an unbelievable amount of work behind them, but each of these groups appeared to accept that the final result on H-800 was what counted and could swallow their pride in the name of progress. The final H-800 had language from many of these resolutions adopted if it wasn't present already. I have yet to see the final amended version online or I would post it.
 
POMA published the new H-800 resolution that was passed. I've copied and pasted just the Resolved portions below:

"3 RESOLVED, that the AOA will evaluate and report to the membership and AOA House of
4 Delegates annually, between 2015 and 2021, concerning the following issues:

5 1. The ability of AOA-trained and certified physicians to serve as program
6 directors in the single GME accreditation system;
7 2. The maintenance of smaller, rural and community based training programs;
8 3. The number of solely AOA certified physicians serving as program directors
9 in each specialty;
10 4. The number of osteopathic identified GME programs and number of
11 osteopathic identified GME positions gained and lost;
12 5. The number of osteopathic residents taking osteopathic board certification
13 examinations;
14 6. The status of recognition of osteopathic board certification being deemed
15 equivalent by the ACGME;
16 7. The importance of osteopathic board certification as a valid outcome
17 benchmark of the quality of osteopathic residency programs, and be it
18 further
19
20 RESOLVED, that any proposed single graduate medical education (GME) accreditation system
21 will provide for the preservation of the unique distinctiveness of osteopathic medicine,
22 osteopathic graduate medical education, osteopathic licensing examinations, osteopathic
23 board certification, osteopathic divisional societies, osteopathic specialty societies,
24 osteopathic specialty colleges, the AOA, and the osteopathic profession; and be it
25 further

26 RESOLVED, that the AOA remain vigilant in its oversight of the single accreditation process
27 and utilize its ability to cease negotiations as delineated in the MOU should osteopathic
28 principles and educational opportunities be materially compromised; and be it further

29 RESOLVED, that the AOA will seek to create an exception category to allow the
30 institution/program, on a case by case basis, up to a one year extension without
31 prejudice for an institution/program that has their budget previously planned so as not
32 to put that institution/program at a competitive disadvantage; and be it further

33 RESOLVED, that the AOA will advocate for an extension of the closure date for AOA
34 accreditation beyond July 1, 2020, where appropriate for individual programs on a case
35 by case basis; and be it further

36 RESOLVED, that the AOA House of Delegates expresses its support for the AOA’s entry into
37 a single accreditation system that perpetuates unique osteopathic graduate medical
38 education programs.

39 Explanatory Statement: The AOA will continue to monitor the progress of the transition to a single GME accreditation system and the emergence of any unintended consequences of the implementation of the new system."
 
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^Excellent. I believe the 1-7 list was originally a part of the SOMA resolution (at least to some extent, the original H800 had a 1-4 list and the original SOMA resolution had a 1-5 list) that was adopted into this one. I would check for sure but I left my folder of papers on the ******** plane.
 
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Well, I must admit that there was one unintended consequence of Osteo1st that was positive. If we wouldn't of had people against the merger, it would have been easier to dismiss PDs and other legitimate claims. At least the AOA can now take it to the ACGME as part of the deal to appease part of the DO population. I'm just glad Osteo1st didn't grow beyond a fringe group or we would have been in serious trouble.
 
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So glad I'm at an MD program. Do you think that this will pretty much bar out IMGs? If there's only one company that controls all residency (and perhaps specialty) spots, do you think this will be the downfall of Caribbean schools and international programs that do part time in Australia and part time in the US?
 
So glad I'm at an MD program. Do you think that this will pretty much bar out IMGs? If there's only one company that controls all residency (and perhaps specialty) spots, do you think this will be the downfall of Caribbean schools and international programs that do part time in Australia and part time in the US?
You're thinking there's more power in the hands of those groups than there really is. The government is not going to allow something like that to happen. I think it is possible we see a 2 tier match where all MD and DO are matched before the Caribbean and FMG are allow to take the remaining spots. My fear is that now that COCA and LCME allow for profit schools we'll see them moving their operations to the US. There's an upside to that in that they will be at least partially regulated and forced to produce good outcomes rather than to depend on attrition.
 
You're thinking there's more power in the hands of those groups than there really is. The government is not going to allow something like that to happen. I think it is possible we see a 2 tier match where all MD and DO are matched before the Caribbean and FMG are allow to take the remaining spots. My fear is that now that COCA and LCME allow for profit schools we'll see them moving their operations to the US. There's an upside to that in that they will be at least partially regulated and forced to produce good outcomes rather than to depend on attrition.

I seem to remember reading that back in the 90's, one of the Caribbean schools, Ross I think, was trying to open a for-profit MD school in Wyoming. I'm surprised they haven't already tried again now that the LCME removed the no for-profit rule.
 
I seem to remember reading that back in the 90's, one of the Caribbean schools, Ross I think, was trying to open a for-profit MD school in Wyoming. I'm surprised they haven't already tried again now that the LCME removed the no for-profit rule.
It probably takes a considerable amount of money and their current status allows them to still thrive with the many naive students. Once the Caribbean door starts closing down (being second in the match) and DO schools are seen universally as the better choice, they will put their money down. For now everything is okay.
 
It probably takes a considerable amount of money and their current status allows them to still thrive with the many naive students. Once the Caribbean door starts closing down (being second in the match) and DO schools are seen universally as the better choice, they will put their money down. For now everything is okay.

The LCME has very stringent rules as to how much oversight and assistance are needed for pre clinical and clinical years. Also monitored is failure rate and retention rate and board passing and dedicated clinical faculty numbers.

New York a decade or two ago attempted to regulate it all by saying they had to follow lcme guidelines or be banned from matching in NY. From what I'm told, the push back against that from the Caribbean schools was worse than anything we've seen with their current, comparatively minor, struggles.

its not even that they couldn't open a school that would pass all of the requirements. they could. But the profit margin would be drastically different and drastically smaller as many of their decisions save a ton of money at the expense of disadvantaging the students. At least, disadvantaging them from the point of view of what should be done by the LCME. they are not hurdles of education quality, they are hurdles of education philosophy and expense management. I don't think the incentive to pack up and move to a place with more restrictive guidelines exist yet.
 
Well, I must admit that there was one unintended consequence of Osteo1st that was positive. If we wouldn't of had people against the merger, it would have been easier to dismiss PDs and other legitimate claims. At least the AOA can now take it to the ACGME as part of the deal to appease part of the DO population. I'm just glad Osteo1st didn't grow beyond a fringe group or we would have been in serious trouble.
The opposing arguments have been extremely relevant in this discussion and this has clearly been recognized by all involved. The appreciation for the pushback of the ACOFP was palpable in the HOD.
 
POMA published the new H-800 resolution that was passed. I've copied and pasted just the Resolved portions below:

"3 RESOLVED, that the AOA will evaluate and report to the membership and AOA House of
4 Delegates annually, between 2015 and 2021, concerning the following issues:

5 1. The ability of AOA-trained and certified physicians to serve as program
6 directors in the single GME accreditation system;
7 2. The maintenance of smaller, rural and community based training programs;
8 3. The number of solely AOA certified physicians serving as program directors
9 in each specialty;
10 4. The number of osteopathic identified GME programs and number of
11 osteopathic identified GME positions gained and lost;
12 5. The number of osteopathic residents taking osteopathic board certification
13 examinations;
14 6. The status of recognition of osteopathic board certification being deemed
15 equivalent by the ACGME;
16 7. The importance of osteopathic board certification as a valid outcome
17 benchmark of the quality of osteopathic residency programs, and be it
18 further
19
20 RESOLVED, that any proposed single graduate medical education (GME) accreditation system
21 will provide for the preservation of the unique distinctiveness of osteopathic medicine,
22 osteopathic graduate medical education, osteopathic licensing examinations, osteopathic
23 board certification, osteopathic divisional societies, osteopathic specialty societies,
24 osteopathic specialty colleges, the AOA, and the osteopathic profession; and be it
25 further

26 RESOLVED, that the AOA remain vigilant in its oversight of the single accreditation process
27 and utilize its ability to cease negotiations as delineated in the MOU should osteopathic
28 principles and educational opportunities be materially compromised; and be it further

29 RESOLVED, that the AOA will seek to create an exception category to allow the
30 institution/program, on a case by case basis, up to a one year extension without
31 prejudice for an institution/program that has their budget previously planned so as not
32 to put that institution/program at a competitive disadvantage; and be it further

33 RESOLVED, that the AOA will advocate for an extension of the closure date for AOA
34 accreditation beyond July 1, 2020, where appropriate for individual programs on a case
35 by case basis; and be it further

36 RESOLVED, that the AOA House of Delegates expresses its support for the AOA’s entry into
37 a single accreditation system that perpetuates unique osteopathic graduate medical
38 education programs.

39 Explanatory Statement: The AOA will continue to monitor the progress of the transition to a single GME accreditation system and the emergence of any unintended consequences of the implementation of the new system."
Better than what I had hoped for. While this does not directly fix the biggest reservations some of us have, it at least monitors a few of them. It would have been nice to also monitor the number of DOs matching into each specialty before and after the merger, in the absence of any guarantee to clamp down on discrimination based on degree alone.
 
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Better than what I had hoped for. While this does not directly fix the biggest reservations some of us have, it at least monitors a few of them. It would have been nice to also monitor the number of DOs matching into each specialty before and after the merger, in the absence of any guarantee to clamp down on discrimination based on degree alone.

More oversight and communication is never a bad thing, nor is looking out for the interests of AOA-boarded physicians.
 
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I'm just glad it's done. Felt a bit like my personal obsession since I accidentally ended up being the first one here to post about it.

Well done to all sides.
 
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