Page 6 - COM Outlook - Winter 2013

6 COM Outlook . Winter 2013
GME Standardization on the Horizon
The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medi-
cine (AACOM) has joined with the Accreditation Council for
Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Os-
teopathic Association (AOA) in a historic agreement to pursue
a single accreditation system for graduate medical education
programs in the United States beginning in July 2015.
Over the coming months, the three organizations will
work toward defining a process, format, and timetable for
the ACGME to accredit all osteopathic graduate medical
education programs currently accredited by the AOA.
“We are supportive of the agreement and firmly believe it
will benefit health care in the United States to have a single
accrediting system for interns, residents, and fellows,” said
Dr. Anthony J. Silvagni, NSU-COM’s longtime dean.
Osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) began certifying gradu-
ate medical education programs in 1947. Since the 1950s,
D.O.s have trained in both AOA- and ACGME-accredited
internships, residencies, and fellowships. Currently, ap-
proximately half of all D.O. graduates in the United States
enter ACGME-accredited programs and half enter AOA-
accredited programs, with each system having separate
rules, requirements, processes, deadlines, and require-
ments for continuous certification and maintenance of
licensure. Merging the two accreditation systems would
provide D.O. graduates with a streamlined pathway to
physician licensure and practice.
At NSU-COM, for example, the proposed merger would
ensure that D.O. graduates gain seamless access to all the
residency programs in the state of Florida each year. With
research showing that physicians frequently enter practice
in the state of their graduate medical education training pro-
gram, the accreditation merger could help to alleviate physi-
cian shortages in Florida by having fewer unfilled positions.
“We are fortunate to have a very active Council of
Florida Medical School Deans, and through its coopera-
tive structure, it is my opinion that Florida medical schools
will have an easier transition for the M.D. or D.O. medical
school graduates being accepted into either ACGME or
AOA residency programs,” Dr. Silvagni stated.
While details for the planned merger will be discussed
over the coming months, the following will occur should
negotiations be successful:
• The transition to a unified system would be seamless;
residents in or entering current AOA-accredited residency
Potential Postgraduate Education Compromise Looms
programs would be eligible to complete residency and/or
fellowship training in ACGME-accredited residency and
fellowship programs.
• The unified system would create an opportunity to set
universal standards for demonstrating outcomes-based
physician competency and enhance the ability to share
information on best practices.
• All osteopathic training programs would automati-
cally be deemed accredited by the ACGME based on prin-
ciples of reciprocity, and all training programs would need
to meet the same requirements.
• The AOA and AACOM would become member or-
ganizations of the ACGME and would have seats on the
ACGME board, ensuring input into future accreditation
standards discussions.
• All existing and future residency programs would be
open to all M.D. and D.O. graduates.
For more information about this historic agreement,
please visit AACOM’s Web site at www.aacom.org .