ACGME and AOA programs work together toward a common goal

A large loss of residency spots would negatively affect medical trainees, patients and the whole health care system. In Washington State, a group of family medicine programs are working together to make sure that doesn’t happen.

As described in a recent article in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, a regional network of residency programs that are dually accredited or accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education reached out to five AOA-only programs in the area to support them in their efforts to transition to ACGME accreditation.

Keeping physicians where they’re most needed

“Our mission,” says lead author Amanda K.H. Weidner, MPH, “was to preserve as many residency education slots for the region as possible. We want to keep primary care physicians in the rural and underserved settings where they are most needed.”

The long process included a kick-off collaborative conference, numerous workshops, resource sharing, and various other efforts. The result: All five AOA programs have now applied for or achieved institutional accreditation and are actively applying for ACGME accreditation.

Osteopathic recognition education

In addition, the AOA programs were able to educate the ACGME programs on osteopathic recognition by providing osteopathic principles and practice workshops.

“These workshops have been very successful. Six ACGME programs have received osteopathic recognition, with one application pending and several more applications underway,” Weidner says.

Learn more about how these programs collaborated to enhance success in the transition to the single accreditation system by visiting the JAOA.