AACOM's 2023 Year in Review

2023 was a significant year for AACOM as it celebrated its 125th anniversary, truly a milestone moment for the association and the osteopathic profession as osteopathic medical students represent more than 25 percent of all medical students today, and that number keeps growing dramatically. To help celebrate, AACOM launched a new brand and website to reflect that growth, influence and leadership.  Learn more about the 125th anniversary, which was nationally recognized by Congress.

In 2023, AACOM hosted three recruitment fairs for undergraduate students looking to learn more about pathways to become an osteopathic physician and to connect those students with our member colleges of osteopathic medicine. Two were virtual and one was held in Baltimore, Maryland, following Educating Leaders 2023.

AACOM additionally sponsored three Health Professions Week (HPW) webinars, during which a doctor of osteopathic medicine moderated a panel discussion about the progression to becoming a physician. The webinars broke records, with one being the highest attendance in HPW history and another with attendees retaining more knowledge about osteopathic medicine compared to other featured professions.

Throughout the year, AACOM’s Assembly of Osteopathic Graduate Medical Educators (AOGME) experienced a historic surge in growth, increasing its membership by more than 1,200 members. AOGME reached more than 4,000 community members with nearly 40 educational webinars and forums, including collaborations with the Council on Residency Placement. The first graduate medical education development institute was also launched in 2023.

In February, four U.S. representatives reintroduced the AACOM-supported Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act, bipartisan legislation that requires federally funded graduate medical education programs to equitably accept and assess DO and MD residency candidates. Since the reintroduction of the FAIR Act, more than 70 state and national organizations have signed onto AACOM's coalition letter.

Osteopathic medical students celebrated record residency placement rates in 2023, with 99.5 percent of graduating seniors finding placements during Match Day in March.

AACOM held its biggest conference yet in celebration of its 125th anniversary! From April 27-29, Baltimore welcomed 1079 osteopathic medical leaders for Educating Leaders 2023, where nearly 200 impactful sessions were offered and countless connections were forged. Four award-winning leaders from our community were also recognized.

In June, AACOM announced eight Research Grant Awardees. AACOM funds up to $10,000 for pioneering work on osteopathic medical education research topics.

Also in June, AACOM released new data that osteopathic medical school graduates increased in racial and gender diversity. Later in September, AACOM data showed that women continue to make up a growing percentage of osteopathic medical students.

AACOM’s UME-GME Task Force grew to 104 members across 13 working groups and subgroups tackling critical topics in osteopathic medical education. Among this year’s accomplishments, the task force issued research grants in July to support continued inquiry into interview formats for entry into residency, and published a toolkit for students re-entering the residency match in October.

In July, AACOM secured language recognizing the importance of osteopathic research and representation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the report (p. 129) to accompany the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHSE) funding bill (S. 2624). Later in October, the House included similar language in the explanatory materials (p.102) to accompany the House LHHSE funding bill (H.R. 5894).

On October 17 and 18 a record number of osteopathic medical education advocates met with Congress during AACOM Advocacy Day, resulting in additional cosponsors for the FAIR Act and elevating osteopathic medical education at the federal level.

Earlier in December, AACOM announced the 2023 Arnstein Minority Student Scholarship awardees, who were recognized for their extraordinary achievements and passion. 2023 marks the second consecutive year of record-breaking application numbers for the scholarship.

Thank you for celebrating this milestone year with us!