ACOFP President

By Ronnie B. Martin, DO, FACOFP dist.

June 3, 2008

Education Standards
On May 31, I attended the AOA’s Bureau of Osteopathic Education meeting in Chicago. It is interesting to note that multiple specialties are reforming their residency standards to reflect the merging of the internship into the osteopathic residencies as well as to ensure that their training meets the standards of education today and the demands of practice for tomorrow.

Last year, ACOFP began anticipating these changes as the Committee on Education and Evaluation and its sub committee on standards, lead by Joe Cook, DO, FACOFP, evaluated and revised standards for family medicine residents, resulting in new standards for faculty, educational structure, outpatient education and continuity of care.

It is apparent that more medical disciplines are seeking osteopathic CAQ and fellowship development to meet the desires of our students ACOFP itself has instituted several new programs, including new programs in hospitalist medicine, dermatology for family physicians, pain and palliative care in addition to long-standing programs with an emphasis on geriatrics, sports medicine, emergency medicine, operative obstetrics, etc. Currently, the ACOFP is investigating whether it should participate in conjoint boards for CAQ’s in sleep medicine and bariatric medicine. Please let me know your opinion.

Several groups, including ACOFP, expressed concerns surrounding the proposed conjoint boards being created by the AOA to establish standards for new CAQ’s and fellowships and develop standards for certification testing. Requiring that all trainees and fellows adhere to the same standards of training regardless of primary certification can be problematic, as professionals approach patient care in differing manners. A surgeon or anesthesiologist will approach chronic pain differently than a family medicine physician, for one example. We want to ensure that all family physicians have an equal opportunity to advance their training, knowledge, procedural and clinical skills and are not precluded from participation in fields that are included in the scope of practice of family physicians.

AOA’s Bureau of Osteopathic Education was requested to work cooperatively with AACOM after Medical Education Summit II to explore the proposition of allowing allopathic graduates to participate in osteopathic resident programs. I will join that task force as it explores the effects on osteopathic medicine, our colleges, our GME programs as well as our patients and osteopathic physicians’ future practices. There are significant concerns surrounding second and third order consequences of such action that must be vetted before action is initiated.

A similar proposal at the last ACOFP Congress of Delegates resulted in action creating a task force that came to the decision that it was not appropriate or beneficial at this time to incorporate allopathic physicians into osteopathic family medicine resident programs. The Bureau of Education and AACOM will work together to develop a white paper and report their findings back to the AOA Board this fall. If you have input that you wish to share for the process, please contact me.

A new proposal to assist smaller osteopathic disciplines and organizations with 1-A CME requirements was introduced to the Bureau and endorsed. Due to the untimely death of one of the giants of our profession, Morton “Morty” Morris, DO, who has chaired this committee for most of our professional careers, Jeffrey Grove, DO has stepped up to chair the CME committee for the AOA. As most of you know, Dr. Grove is a member of the ACOFP Board of Governors from Florida and widely recognized as an expert in advocacy and governmental affairs.

Reminder: August 31 Deadline for ACOFP’s Fellows Program Applications
I want to encourage each of you to strive for recognition as a fellow in the ACOFP. In doing so, you will not only bring distinction to yourself, but to our profession as well. If you have already dedicated the time and service required to achieve this status, let me once again thank you for your service and dedication. I challenge each of our current fellows to increase their support of our profession and the conclave and advance its cause by mentoring, encouraging and sponsoring a colleague for recognition.

The Fellow Designation signifies the recognition of a member’s experience, dedication, service and contributions of the highest order to the advancement of family practice by their peers. Service to others, both in and outside of our profession, is the hallmark of this award. The candidate must demonstrate service to one or more segments of our society, her/his profession, his/her patients, and the public. Successful candidates should demonstrate exemplary practices of medicine coupled with scholarly activity and professional commitment.

The ACOFP’s Distinguished Fellow designation honors the exceptional members of the Conclave of Fellows. This award will be presented to those Fellows who have distinguished themselves through service and support of the ACOFP through individual participation and support of the activities and efforts of the association on a state, regional or national stage.

Fellows nominating members of ACOFP for the designation of Fellow or applying for the designation of Distinguished Fellow must submit a completed application no later than August 31, 2008. The Fellow’s Award Ceremony and celebration will be held during the 2009 ACOFP Annual Convention in Washington, D.C.

Back to Campus
Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience College of Osteopathic Medicine ACOFP Student Chapter, Tiffany L. Pitts, President, partnered with Elaine Joslyn, DO, FACOFP to conduct blood pressure and blood glucose screening for local Kansas City, Missouri community residents. The screening targeted the Hispanic population and provided Spanish speakers, informational flyers in Spanish and was advertised in the local Spanish/English newspaper two weeks prior to the event.

Providing access to health care services to many who otherwise would not enjoy the care of an osteopathic physician, events such as this not only provide opportunities for education for the students in clinical skills and expand their medical knowledge, they also advance their education in cultural and ethnic diversity and stimulate the humanitarian and philanthropic traits that the students brought into our colleges and have been historically hallmarks of our profession.

Make your opinions known! Send an email to me and ACOFP. Share your thoughts, make comments, and tell us what you have been doing in regards to osteopathic family medicine.

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