Approval of ACGME Training as an AOA-approved internship: history and review of current data

The policy of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) on the approval of allopathic residency training has evolved since the mid-1980s, when such a policy became necessary because of the low number of osteopathic medical residency positions compared with the number of students graduating from colleges of osteopathic medicine. Resolution 42 (A/2000), the Approval of ACGME (Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education) Training as an AOA-Approved Internship, requires that trainees justify a special circumstance requiring them to seek ACGME-accredited training, and complete all rotational requirements of an AOA-approved osteopathic internship.

To examine the evolution of AOA approval of allopathic residency training and to present the available data on Resolution 42 as it points to the future of osteopathic graduate medical education (OGME).

An electronic review of the literature was conducted using Medline, the search engine on the JAOA's Web site, and Google. Bibliographies from relevant articles were used to find related citations, and further searches were done using the names of authors of major articles on OGME. Finally, the AOA's database of Resolution 42 petitions was cross-referenced with the AOA's membership database.

Nine hundred thirty-seven trainees had applied for Resolution 42. Almost two thirds of the applicants were in family medicine and internal medicine residency programs, and most (55%) programs were in six states: New York, Illinois, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The special circumstance most documented was location preference.

The sustained advancement of the osteopathic medical profession is dependent on OGME and accreditation policy. By regularly assessing the achievements of policies and programs, educators can better shape the future of osteopathic medicine.