ACGME needs to stick to post graduate training. Anything else would be way overstepping their grounds. I'm down for the merger of the residencies to the degree discussed but I would not be ok with my MD colleagues deciding on the accreditation status of my school.
That's the thing, the ACGME can decide who has access to their residencies and who does not. It already happens at the level of PD. PD says "hey, you know, I'm a bit hesitant on ranking this DO student high, because I'm not so sure about his clinical training." Boom, he gets ranked lower. Like it or not, this is one of the main reasons why we still see some DO discrimination. Who is to say that this doesn't eventually happen on a larger scale? If they expect AOA residencies to eventually meet ACGME standards or face termination, it could be possible, that
one day, they apply a similar tactic in COCA vs LCME and only grant access to grads from institutions that meet a set standard. I'm just speculating, but is it that difficult to imagine?
So ACGME does stick to post graduate training, and it can decide who is in and who is out. Again, who is to say that in the future, they also take issue with the discrepancy in clinical training, and only admit those students from institutions with standards equivalent to that of LCME? What's to stop them? A pending merger (i.e. slow rate absorption?) where the AOA is at the mercy of the big guy in the room? I certainly don't think it's out of the question to say that eventually, someone will be highlighting the problems similar to those addressed in this thread as a reason to start requiring certain standards to met across the board in order to ensure access.
One may take issue with such a thing, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I know there are whole bunch of DO folks in the AOA clan who are not too excited about the merger, but they didn't keep that from happening... if and when it happens that is.
Regardless of which, there should be a high standard of clinical education provided at all American medical schools, especially considering the price paid. It's frustrating to see enrollment increase and new schools being founded when issues of quality seem to be somewhat pervasive.
It's one thing to be known as the group that thinks they can heal with manipulation... but to be known as the one with shaky training... well that's just plain embarrassing.