Something else for DOs to know

[DocEspana]

There really isn't much need to panic just yet. It is always very important to be aware, so i'm not saying to remain uninformed, but these have been in the proposal stage their start. It doesn't seem like they have been that successful in the past two decades, and it will be hit with a lot of criticism and resistance from the Osteopathic community. If you are an Osteopathic medical student, definitely voice your opinion if your school offers a meeting for current students to express concern. If you are an applicant, this may be a good question to pose to interviewers to get their thoughts on the matter.

Hopefully the voices of reason within the Allopathic community, along with our figure heads in the Osteopathic community will find the proposals to be demeaning to the Osteopathic profession.

A statement issued by AACOM and AOA:
"We are not aware that there is evidence of inadequate training within osteopathic medical education post-graduate programs. Thus, a sudden change such as the one proposed, which will affect hundreds of current students and residents, seems to be a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist."

We should remain hopeful that this will be squashed. The AOA has had to fight in the past to protect our opportunities and will do so again.

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[p1acebo]

I don't know about you, but I definitely use SDN to avoid studying.

 

[Lewist02]

Well, considering this has been ongoing for many years now, I think someone is fighting against it, and i'm sure it's not just the AMA, or other members of ACGME that are against the proposal. I had the privilege of speaking with a member of the AOA board of trustees about the matter, and they seemed pretty honest about the AOA's commitment to defending against these proposals.

 

[DrBowtie]

Well, considering this has been ongoing for many years now, I think someone is fighting against it, and i'm sure it's not just the AMA, or other members of ACGME that are against the proposal. I had the privilege of speaking with a member of the AOA board of trustees about the matter, and they seemed pretty honest about the AOA's commitment to defending against these proposals.

Yeah! Defend the AOA parasiting off of ACGME residencies!

 

[PCOMSurgery]

These rules don't limit the opportunities a DO has to match or train in ACGME programs. All they are saying is, if you want to train in an ACGME fellowship and be board certified by an allopathic organization (not just board eligible) then you need to train in an ACGME residency program.

It makes perfect sense. They maintain quality control over their own programs and have no oversight of AOA residency programs. Why would they have an open-door policy to non-ACGME trainees who are graduating from programs which are not under their watchful eye?

This signifies a necessary shift in GME. One of two things will need to happen.

1. The AOA constructs a model which can accommodate all of its graduates: train them in AOA residency programs, train them in AOA fellowship programs and offer board certification in all specialty areas. Thats simply not realistic with the pending cuts in federal funding to GME.

2. The AOA pushes for dual certification for its programs. With the ACGME able to "look over" these programs as well turns this whole thing becomes a moot point. This is what is going to have to happen.

If I'm going to put MY stamp of approval on someones training...stake my reputation on their abilities...I want to know that how they were trained matches a set of expectations that I have previously laid out.

 

[se20001984]

wow..i got scared when reading this..but looking over it again...i dont think it is much of a big deal? correct?

alote of it is based on SUPER difficult SUPER selective programs...they are NOT saying NO DOs either...just start ACGME initially...

I was worried that they were trying to restrict DOs...as in the last 5 years (the new ones entering the workforce)- theres roughly 7 NEW SCHOOLS, with 150- 200 students..but i read another statistics that the international med docts in the represents 25% of the work force.

This years there 3 new schools, and plans for wiscon and stl

goal: 1 in 4 doctors will be DO

I whole heartedly believe that the DO are doing whatever they can to fill up the IMG spots,

this is my analysis...

 

[Dharma]

wow..i got scared when reading this..but looking over it again...i dont think it is much of a big deal? correct?

alote of it is based on SUPER difficult SUPER selective programs...they are NOT saying NO DOs either...just start ACGME initially...

I was worried that they were trying to restrict DOs...as in the last 5 years (the new ones entering the workforce)- theres roughly 7 NEW SCHOOLS, with 150- 200 students..but i read another statistics that the international med docts in the represents 25% of the work force.

This years there 3 new schools, and plans for wiscon and stl

goal: 1 in 4 doctors will be DO

I whole heartedly believe that the DO are doing whatever they can to fill up the IMG spots,

this is my analysis...

While I'm all for D.O., I find it a bit disturbing that there are less than half as many AOA residency positions available each year as there are D.O. grads. And then knowing these numbers, they have the audacity to open new D.O. schools?!? (It's all about making bank). But they will cover this truth with the "physician shortage" veil and dupe the unsuspecting premed (and even some first year med students) into believing that more D.O. grads is a good thing.

I find it to be a bit sickening. Well, maybe "sickening" is pushing it, but it certainly leaves a foul taste on the palate. IMO it doesn't make the profession as a whole look good either.

 

[se20001984]

like i said of the number of practicing physicians 25% is IMG (or was it starting rez?)

4% is DO, i think in 5 years time we will see 15% and 15%

 

[Socrates25]

With both MD and DO programs expanding like wildfire, its only a matter of time before the LCME/AAOMC start licensing the University of Phoenix for online med schools.

The sad part is that my post is only partly in jest.

For far too long, DO and MD programs have been expanding where they dont have the clinical infrastructure to do so and as a result they send hundreds of 3rd year med students out into the world begging for clinical training spots. Ironically, this is EXACTLY what the DNP programs do. You pay $50k per year only to be told that its your responsibility to set up all your 3rd year clinical rotations, so you end up in some rural family medicine clinic with no oversight/teaching as somebody's scut monkey or just a simple observer with no real clinical experience.

How many schools RIGHT NOW are giving their up and coming 3rd years a list of rural PCPs and telling them to cold call them and beg for clinical spots? Its disturbing.

 

[Dharma]

How many schools RIGHT NOW are giving their up and coming 3rd years a list of rural PCPs and telling them to cold call them and beg for clinical spots? Its disturbing.

Anyone care to answer this... so I can avoid these places if possible?

 

[DocEspana]

Anyone care to answer this... so I can avoid these places if possible?

Not Touro in NY. Its actually one of the things I've been told about pikesville that always crept me out about it. But I haven't reconfirmed thats still the case in the last year.

 

[Dharma]

Yeah! Defend the AOA parasiting off of ACGME residencies!

I was waiting to see a heated response to this. Guess most agree with this sentiment to some degree...

 

[joiseysh]

I was waiting to see a heated response to this. Guess most agree with this sentiment to some degree...

Residencies are funded by the federal government and belong to the American people, not AOA or ACGME.

 

[PCOMSurgery]

I was waiting to see a heated response to this. Guess most agree with this sentiment to some degree...

Ignoring doesn't indicate agreement. Sometimes its better just to roll ones eyes quietly to onesself.

 

[Dharma]

Residencies are funded by the federal government and belong to the American people, not AOA or ACGME.

Hahahaha! Did you open up a new account just to drop this gem of wisdom?

 

[jinobi]

GME Medicare article for those interested. Has that 25% of current practicing physicians in the US are IMGs statistic someone mentioned.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMhpr1107519