2010 APDS SPRING MEETING A Primer on How to Select Osteopathic Applicants to an Allopathic General Surgery Residency Paul J. Schenarts, MD,* Paula M. Termuhlen, MD, † Jason Pasley, DO, † Joel S. Rose, MD, and Mark L. Friedell, MD ‡ *Department of Surgery, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, and † Department of Surgery, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, and the ‡ Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, Florida KEY WORDS: surgical education, osteopathic training, resi- dent selection COMPETENCY: Systems Based Practice, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, Professionalism INTRODUCTION As part of Education Week 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Association of Program Directors in Surgery hosted a panel discussion addressing the integration of osteopathic graduates into allopathic general surgery residency training programs. This article summarizes this panel discussion and the questions asked by members of the audience. With an increasing number of osteopathic medical school graduates, applications to allopathic general surgery residency training programs have been on the rise. Additionally, military scholarships are offered to students at both osteopathic and allopathic schools, increasing the percentage of osteopathic graduates seeking general surgery training in allopathic pro- grams with a military affiliation. The purpose of this work is to provide program directors and faculty members involved with resident selection a primer of information about the expanding role osteopathic physicians, answer potential biases and frequently asked questions about osteopathic applicants and provide practical information on matching osteopathic residents into an allopathic general sur- gery residency program. The Expected Rise of Osteopathic Applicants There has been a dramatic increase of osteopathic graduates apply- ing for allopathic general surgical training. The development of multiple new colleges of osteopathic medicine and expansion of already existing schools is expected to generate 5227 first-year stu- dents by 2012, which represents an increase of 1380 students (36%) since 2006. By 2016, the number of osteopathic graduates is expected to increase by an additional 62% over current numbers, whereas allopathic medical school growth is projected to increase by only 21%. 1,2 By 2019, it is predicted that 25% of all United States medical school graduates produced annually will be doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs). 1 The residency training of this increased number of osteopathic graduates cannot be accommo- dated within the American Osteopathic Association postdoctoral training programs and a significant number will enter the allo- pathic system. Between 1985 and 2006 the number of osteopathic physicians (DOs) training in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) postdoctoral training has increased 419%. 1 Currently, only 40% of osteopathic graduates enter osteo- pathic training programs, whereas 60% enter an ACGME training program. 3 Traditionally, osteopathic medical school graduates have en- tered primary care specialties or rural practice. Between 1994 and 1996, DOs accounted for only 1.2% of graduates entering general surgery residencies. 4 However, the number of osteo- pathic graduates entering surgical residencies is increasing steadily. In a survey of 1882 osteopathic graduates in 2004, the number entering surgical residencies had increased to 9%. 5 However, this increase in DOs entering surgical residency may be misleading, as a large number of these may be nondesignated preliminary internships, and the number actually completing the general surgery training is likely far less. Given this increase in the number of osteopathic graduates and likely increase in those applying to ACGME surgical residencies, general surgery program directors will need a greater understand- ing of how to select DOs for their training programs. Brief History of Osteopathic Medicine Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, a Missouri practitioner and Civil War surgeon, established osteopathic medicine as an offshoot of Correspondence: Inquiries to Paul J. Schenarts, MD, Department of Surgery, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858; fax: (252) 847-8208; e-mail: schenartsp@ecu.edu Presented at the 2009 meeting of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery held in Salt Lake, City, Utah. Journal of Surgical Education • © 2011 Association of Program Directors in Surgery 1931-7204/$30.00 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2011.01.001 239