Dual approval of a residency program: ten years' experience and implications for postdoctoral training

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Osteopathic Medicine
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• In 1985, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) revised policies to permit osteopathic postdoctoral programs in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited settings.
• This policy shift enabled the creation of integrated residency programs catering to both osteopathic and allopathic medical training requirements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the 10-year experience of a combined osteopathic/allopathic emergency medicine residency program.
• To analyze program development, governance, faculty distribution, and educational outcomes.
• To discuss lessons learned and the future potential of dual-approved residency programs.

Main Methods:

• Modification of an existing ACGME-accredited emergency medicine residency to incorporate osteopathic principles and requirements.
• Establishment of a governance structure involving key stakeholders.
• Analysis of program data over a 10-year period, including faculty composition and resident graduation numbers.

Main Results:

• A total of 93 residents graduated from the combined program over 10 years: 33 osteopathic physicians and 60 allopathic physicians.
• The program maintained an equal distribution of allopathic and osteopathic faculty.
• The combined program successfully met the educational standards of both the AOA and ACGME.

Conclusions:

• Dual-approved residency programs, like the one described, are feasible and can successfully integrate osteopathic and allopathic training.
• Such programs offer a viable model for increasing residency positions, particularly within osteopathic postdoctoral education.
• The experience highlights the importance of collaborative governance and balanced faculty representation for program success.