Pursuing Osteopathic Recognition: A National Survey on US Program Director Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Graduate Medical Education
• Osteopathic Medicine
• Residency Training

Background:

• Osteopathic Recognition (OR) experienced rapid growth but has recently plateaued.
• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) single accreditation system oversees OR programs.
• Many formerly American Osteopathic Association (AOA)-accredited programs have not yet applied for OR.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess interest in pursuing OR among formerly AOA-accredited residency programs.
• Identify perceived barriers and values associated with obtaining OR.
• Examine the relationship between interest in OR and program demographics.

Main Methods:

• A national survey was conducted in 2023 targeting program directors of formerly AOA-accredited programs not pursuing OR.
• The survey included Likert scale, short-answer demographic, and open-ended questions.
• Data analysis involved contingency tables for interest levels versus barriers/values and thematic analysis for open-ended responses.

Main Results:

• A 38.9% response rate (178/458) was achieved, with 57.9% expressing "Yes" or "Maybe" interest in OR.
• Key barriers included lack of applicant/colleague support, time, funding, space, and administrative uncertainty.
• Significant differences in perceived barriers and values were observed across different interest levels (Cramer's V 0.24-0.35 for barriers, 0.21-0.29 for values).

Conclusions:

• Program directors' perceived resource availability impacts interest in pursuing OR.
• The value of OR in attracting residency applicants is a significant factor influencing program directors' decisions.
• Addressing resource limitations and highlighting recruitment benefits may increase OR adoption.