Recruiting interns and residents to an osteopathic medical training program

As more graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine enroll in allopathic training programs and specialty programs, medical directors of osteopathic medical institutions are faced with the challenge of maintaining a well-trained housestaff. More important, perhaps, this exodus threatens the very core of osteopathic medicine, namely, its ability to produce well-trained primary care physicians. A recruitment plan used at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and its affiliates is presented here. The plan emphasizes the importance of trainee involvement in their own education as well as the use of residents in recruiting interns and specialty residents.