Originally posted by Dr. G
By the way, what do other DO students think about the bomb that UPenn dropped regarding internship...what the hell is up with that??
Here is the e-mail that I got from UPenn:
"Dear Osteopathic Applicant:
Thank you again for your interest in our residency training program. As we discussed during the interview process, we are finalizing plans to add a PGY-1 (internship) year to our program, thus making our program a four year, integrated program. We are writing to give you an urgent update, based on recent information received pertaining to match procedures for graduates of Osteopathics schools.
We have recently learned that there are two sets of circumstances under which Osteopathic graduates can complete an internship in our program at Penn. First, our program could possibly be accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). We have had recent conversations with the AOA regarding
the pursuit of "dual accreditation"; this would enable Osteopathic graduates to enter our program directly via the match as PGY-1s. However, the AOA requires that a minimum of four (4) intern positions be offered as a condition of seeking this dual accreditation. Since our program is smaller than those in other disciplines (e.g., Medicine, Family Practice) and only has 4 positions at each level, including the PGY-1 year, this rule would in effect require us to offer internships to only Osteopathic graduates. Such an approach would be at variance with our tradition of considering all applications fairly, whether MD or DO graduates. It is fair to say that the receipt of this information from the AOA on Friday, January 16, 2004 was unexpected.
Secondly, the AOA has also advised us that there is a procedure in place whereby individuals can petition the AOA to receive approval after completion of the internship of a non-AOA accredited internship. This is called the "Resolution 42" process. Decisions are made by the AOA on an individual, case by case basis. So it is possible for you to come here as a PGY-1 without our program being AOA accredited. However, in those circumstances it would be your decision alone to take the risk of this approach; the risk as well as the outcome would be shifted to you, and would be a matter of negotiation between you and the AOA.
Because we are committed to adding the internship to our program, and because of our institution's commitment to provide funding for all four of these intern positions, we will offer all 4 positions in this year's match as PGY-1 positions. And, we will prepare our rank list as per our usual procedure of equal consideration of all interviewees. We feel that it is in your best
interests to be made aware of this situation well in advance of the pending NRMP match, as it could have an impact on your decision process concerning your personal rank list.
If you have questions about this information, please don't hesitate to contact us."
