Osteopathic graduate medical education

For the 2004-2005 academic year, as in preceding years, the number of graduates from colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) and the number of osteopathic medical internship positions approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) continued to increase, by 2% and 1%, respectively. However, student participation in the AOA's Intern/Resident Registration Program dipped by 5% to a total of 44% for the class of 2005. Notwithstanding, a striking majority (1120 [91%]) of participating 2005 COM graduates were matched to their first choice training program--most often in traditional osteopathic rotating internships (63%). Next in popularity for osteopathic medical graduates were internships in family practice (11%), internal medicine (9%), and emergency medicine (5%). As a model for training, the traditional osteopathic rotating internship has undergone extensive revision in the past year as a result of extensive collaboration among the AOA's Council on Postdoctoral Training and each of the 23 osteopathic specialty colleges. The restructured plan will go into effect as of July 1, 2008.