MD and DO residency merger

In this video, I try to explain everything I know about the announcement made on February 26th, 2014 concerning the unified graduate medical education for all training physicians in the United States. I go through who the organizations are that were involved as well as some information that I have gathered as a member of the Council of Osteopathic Student Government Presidents and why this may have been a surprise to many students. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for watching and for your support.

Press Release: http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa...

FAQ's: http://www.aacom.org/news/latest/Page...


After months of discussion, the AOA, along with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), have agreed to a single accreditation system for graduate medical education (GME) programs in the United States.

A single GME accreditation system will evaluate and provide accountability for the competency of physician residents consistently across all GME programs. This ensures the quality and efficiency of postdoctoral education, while preserving the unique dimensions of the osteopathic medical profession and recognizing its contribution to health care in the U.S.

Under the agreement:

From July 1, 2015, to June 30, 2020, AOA-accredited training programs will transition to ACGME recognition and accreditation.

There will continue to be osteopathic-focused training programs under the ACGME accreditation system. Two osteopathic review committees will be developed to evaluate and set standards for the osteopathic aspects of training programs seeking osteopathic recognition.

DOs and MDs would have access to all training programs. There will be prerequisite competencies and a recommended program of training for MD graduates who apply for entry into osteopathic-focused programs.

AOA and AACOM will become ACGME member organizations, and each will have representation on ACGME's board of directors.
The agreement provides the framework for the osteopathic and allopathic communities to prepare future generations of physicians with the highest quality graduate medical education and serve as a unified voice for graduate medical education resources to help mitigate the primary care physician shortage and better serve the public.

As I stated in our joint press release issued today, a single GME accreditation system ensures that all physicians have access to the primary and sub-specialty training they need for the patients they want to serve. For the osteopathic medical profession, the system recognizes the unique principles and practices of DOs and our contribution to the health and well-being of all Americans.

While there is still much to determine over the coming months as far as processes, I am sure many of you have questions. Please visit www.osteopathic.org/acgme for more information.