AACOM Convenes National Thought Leaders to Reimagine the Future of Clinical Education

Report recommends dual approach to transform clinical education into strategic, value-based partnership

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Bethesda, MD) – The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) brought together a select group of national leaders in medical education, healthcare delivery and innovation for a Clinical Education Think Tank, an intensive two-day working session dedicated to envisioning a more sustainable, forward-looking model of clinical training for osteopathic medical students.

“Clinical education is undergoing profound and unavoidable change. This moment demands courage, clarity and a willingness to think beyond the models we’ve inherited,” said AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO. “AACOM is committed to ensuring that future physicians are not only clinically excellent, but deeply grounded in the humanistic, whole-person approach that defines osteopathic medicine. This Think Tank marks an important step toward building a clinical education system that truly serves learners, clinical partners and, most importantly, patients.”

The convening is a key component of AACOM’s broader Undergraduate Medical Education (UME)-Graduate Medical Education (GME) Task Force efforts to explore how osteopathic medical education can lead in preparing the next generation of physicians amid rapid changes in healthcare, technology and learner expectations. Participants affirmed that clinical education is at a critical inflection point, with increasing numbers of learners, growing competition for high-quality clinical experiences, variable training environments and escalating operational pressures on clinical sites.

Rather than focusing on incremental fixes, Think Tank members called for a fundamental reenvisioning of how medical schools and clinical partners collaborate. Discussions centered on transforming relationships between COMs and clinical sites from transactional placement arrangements into strategic, mission-aligned partnerships that advance shared goals and deliver clear value to learners, preceptors, institutions and the communities they serve.

Key themes included enhancing student readiness so learners can contribute meaningfully and earlier to clinical teams; strengthening support for preceptors and clinical faculty; and aligning clinical education with the evolving priorities of hospitals, health systems and community-based practices. Participants emphasized the need to create conditions that elevate both student learning and the value medical schools bring to their clinical partners.

Looking further ahead, the group explored what a fundamentally new model of clinical education could look like—one that integrates early and longitudinal clinical immersion; embraces competency-based progression; deploys technology, including digital health tools and emerging forms of artificial intelligence, to enhance rather than replace human connection; and elevates osteopathic identity, humanism and whole-person care throughout every stage of training.

The Clinical Education Think Tank represents a significant milestone in AACOM’s commitment to bold innovation in medical education and underscores the organization’s leadership as colleges of osteopathic medicine adapt to a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. The Think Tank’s report can be viewed here. Plans are in place for the follow up event, a “Clinical Education Catalyst Hack-a-thon,” in 2026.

About AACOM:

Founded in 1898, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) is the leading voice for the education and training of physicians who practice osteopathic medicine in settings across the medical spectrum—from primary care to the full range of medical specialties. We support our member colleges of osteopathic medicine in their efforts to attract and train individuals who are fueled by a desire to make a difference in our healthcare system by treating the whole person and building a future emphasizing health and wellness for all people. Today, more than 38,000 future physicians—close to 30 percent of all U.S. medical students—are being educated at one of our 44 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine, encompassing 71 teaching locations in 36 states.  To learn more about AACOM, please visit our website.

Contacts:

Joseph Shapiro
Director of Media Relations
(240) 938-0746
jshapiro@aacom.org

Christine DeCarlo
Senior Manager of Media and Public Affairs
(202) 603-1026
cdecarlo@aacom.org