Osteopathic training, certification recognized in new ACGME common program requirements

Last year, the ACGME Board approved common program requirements that explicitly recognize AOA specialty board certification as an acceptable credential for program directors and faculty. Under the new rules, which become effective on July 1, programs are also required to provide information on AOA board certification to program applicants and residents.

The new requirements also formally state that AOA-trained residents are eligible to complete ACGME fellowships. At the same time, references to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) were removed from the specialty program requirements.

Other notable ACGME changes include:

• A recommendation for program directors to encourage all eligible graduates to become board certified by the AOA certifying boards or the American Board of Medical Specialties.
• Scholarly work for residents and faculty is expressly defined, which helps clarify acceptable types of research for accreditation purposes.

Independent of the actions of the ACGME, the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates recently voted unanimously to approve a resolution promoting equal acceptance of the COMLEX and USMLE exams by all U.S. residency programs.

“These are critically important changes for the osteopathic profession, which can feel confident that its education and training programs are fully acknowledged by the ACGME. The transition to a single accreditation system is a complex undertaking and the updated common program requirements address some confusion that arose earlier in the process,” said AOA President William S. Mayo, DO.

Further reading:

AMA officially recognizes COMLEX as equivalent to USMLE

DO elected to leadership position on ACGME Board of Directors

Single GME update: More than 6,600 AOA residency positions are now ACGME-accredited