AOA works to advance understanding of student parity issues

This is the fourth in a series of Student Parity Advocacy Updates shared with the osteopathic medical profession. The message is attributable to AOA President Ira P. Monka, DO, and AOA CEO Kathleen S. Creason, MBA.

It’s an exciting time of transition for many members of our distinctive profession. We commend each of our extraordinary osteopathic medical students for completing a successful year of medical school and taking another pivotal step toward becoming a physician. In addition, we are thrilled to welcome more than 7,000 new DOs who graduated from medical school this spring and will soon enter residency programs across the nation.

In the midst of these milestones, we would like to share additional updates regarding our efforts to advance equitable treatment for all medical school graduates. Although 99.5% of DO seniors seeking GME placed into residency programs in 2023, we recognize that members of the profession still occasionally face barriers that threaten access to training opportunities. We recently shared outcomes of the Student Parity Summit and current efforts to advance parity by collaborating with partner organizations and engaging in grassroots advocacy and outreach.

In addition to these initiatives, the AOA works continuously to raise awareness and understanding of student parity issues among program directors and other GME stakeholders. The following list highlights recent efforts in this area:

In March, the AOA partnered with the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) to discuss student parity issues during a session at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) annual conference.
AOA leaders presented to medical licensing board staff on osteopathic medical education as part of a program developed by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and Administrators in Medicine (AIM).
On an ongoing basis, AOA leaders and representatives discuss GME equity during visits to GME training institutions, conferences and meetings throughout the year.

Helping to ensure a successful future for all DOs and osteopathic medical students is a critical cornerstone of our mission at the AOA. If you personally encounter obstacles that limit access to training, licensure or credentialing, please send us a message. We are fully dedicated to supporting your career and will continue working each day to help you achieve your goals.