Osteopathic medical students met their match Monday—75 percent of graduating DO students who participated in the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Intern/Resident Registration Program successfully matched to osteopathic residencies.
Nearly 3,000 graduating students and recent DO graduates participated, with 2,179 achieving placements. As in years past, primary care topped the match placements, accounting for 54 percent of all matches with a total of 1,171 placements, according to the AOA.
About 22 percent of medical students attend an osteopathic medical school, pointing to a fast-growing health care segment. This past fall, new enrollment at DO schools increased 5.2 percent over new enrollment in 2013, with nearly 6,800 students beginning their medical education at one of 30 DO-granting medical schools, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Total enrollment at osteopathic schools is more than 24,000, an increase of 6.7 percent over the fall 2013 total.
These changing demographics were the catalysts behind the allopathic and osteopathic accreditation system merger. As of Jan. 1, accreditation systems for MD and DO graduate medical education (GME) programs are partners, driving forward the implementation of a single accreditation system for all GME programs in the country. While that five-year process is underway, osteopathic graduates who choose the DO match (the AOA Intern/Resident Registration Program) typically match into a primary care specialty. Some DO graduates will participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), which will take place on March 20.
Under the merger, MDs and DOs will be eligible for all residencies, meaning graduates will be able to transfer from one accredited program to another without being required to repeat education.
