Building Residency Readiness: AACOM Pilot Celebrates Success Across Participating COMs

Photo courtesy of AZCOM.

What began as a national framework for strengthening the transition to residency has now been put into practice across five colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) through AACOM’s Residency Readiness Bootcamp pilot. The pilot was conducted at the following COMs:

• Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
• A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
• Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Using the Residency Readiness Playbook, developed by the UME-GME Task Force, participating COMs developed practical learning experiences to prepare students for the responsibilities they may encounter from their first days of residency. Students practiced hands-on skills and common clinical responsibilities, including peripheral IV insertion, point-of-care ultrasound, fluid assessment and management, ACLS stabilization and responding to common patient-care pages.

Photos courtesy of KCU-COM.

While each COM adapted its bootcamp to its own students and educational environment, the pilot provided an opportunity to learn across institutions and explore how a shared framework can support residency preparation in different settings. Analysis of the pilot findings is underway, with AACOM and participating institutions working toward publication and sharing lessons with the broader medical education community.