what is the AOA doing to increase the quality of GME?

[stoic]

What's up -

It's my understanding that most physcians/students agree that DO GME is very much lacking in quality. What is th AOA/DO community doing to correct this problem? To me, this seems to be an issue very much at the heart of "loss of DO identity." After all, if all DO's end up training in MD residencies, then how could you not loose the "DO" identity.

Has this been discussed at AOA meetings? Is it talked about in osteopathic journals? Or do people just want to ignore that problem?

Thanks,
Dave

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[Dr JPH]

This issue is well known throughout the osteopathic community. Especially since the numbers have been going more and more in favor of MD residencies over the years...the trend is difficult to ignore.

I have seen osteopathic residencies and internships marketing themselves beyong belief. As far as the AOA is concerned, I am not sure what steps they are taking to alter the tide, so to speak. I am sure they want to offer the best post graduate education to newly graduated DOs.

 

[njdo]

Dr. Beehler, AOA President, just visited LECOM on Monday. He was asked about this, and replied that there are limitations as to what the AOA can do. The biggest problem that he noted was that the federal government limits the ability of hospitals to open up new residency spots each year (it sounds that it does so via quotas, etc.). From what he said, it's not as if any old hospital that wants to can go ahead and open up a residency program just to make more room for DO's can do so...only a certain number are allowed, and only a certain number are allotted federal funding.

He told us the AOA is concentrating its efforts, therefore, on dually-accredited programs. By this he means that the radiology (IM, EM, etc.) program of a certain hospital would be both AOA and ACGME accredited. This allows DO's more options since there are numerous Allopathic residencies that have been in place for years. By tacking on a DO's ability to apply and be AOA-accredited, we may eventually have all the options that the MD applicants have (though this will be years). I know a lot of programs that LECOM is working with (in Pittsburgh in particular) are dually-certifying both their primary care and specialist care programs.

For now, this sounds like the best option. By dually accrediting programs, it perhaps will eliminate some of the MD-bias that is out there in the application process and open up more program options than could otherwise be done with only AOA-accredited programs.

njdo

 

[DireWolf]

The president fails to acknowledge that the problem isn't only the lack of osteopathic residency spots but more importantly, the lack of quality in the ones that already exist. There are exceptions, but most of the osteopathic residency programs are severely lacking in funding, teaching, research, volume, variety, and didactics. He should start by improving the programs we already have, and focus on expanding later.

 

[VentdependenT]

Originally posted by DireWolf
The president fails to acknowledge that the problem isn't only the lack of osteopathic residency spots but more importantly, the lack of quality in the ones that already exist. There are exceptions, but most of the osteopathic residency programs are severely lacking in funding, teaching, research, volume, variety, and didactics. He should start by improving the programs we already have, and focus on expanding later.

Cha-Ching$

You hit it right on the head. Thaz why I'm off to allo residency.