Become a Fellow/FAQs

The Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship (OHPF) is a ten-month-long training program designed to support individuals with a connection to the osteopathic profession. The purpose of the program is to provide fellows with the tools they need to analyze, formulate, and implement health policy on a range of levels and in a diverse array of forums. Though the fellowship serves the osteopathic profession, it does not focus on advocacy for osteopathic medicine as such. 

Most Fellows become leaders in their communities and states, though some do work nationally and internationally. Graduates join a cadre of almost 300 OHPF alumni, many of whom staff committees and task forces at the state and federal levels, testify on issues relevant to healthcare, teach health policy to health professions students, and inform policy positions in various other ways. Many alumni have served as deans and in other leadership positions at colleges of osteopathic and allopathic medicine, state osteopathic associations and foundations, and health-related corporate leadership throughout the world.

The Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship program is designed for osteopathic physicians and other professionals with ties to the osteopathic profession who are preparing to engage in health policy formation, development, assessment, and advocacy. The program welcomes applications from all healthcare professionals, including teaching and research faculty, practicing physicians (both MD and DO) and other clinicians, administrators, osteopathic foundation and state association staff, and others.

Fellows apply on-line beginning in February; applications close March 31. Application review is conducted in an ongoing process during the submission period once each applicant's materials are received (application, personal statement, two reference letters, commitment/financial sponsorship statement from dean or supervisor for non-COM applicants). If a COM is not providing financial support, a confirmation letter from a foundation or documentation of other financial support must be submitted. To complete the process, semi-finalists will participate in a 15-minute virtual interview with the co-directors. All efforts are made to ensure the final class represents a cross-section of backgrounds and geographic distribution. Fellows are notified of their acceptance by May 1.

During the year, Fellows attend six sessions, including an intensive four-day academic orientation in Columbus, Ohio, and a three-day session in Washington, DC. The four remaining two-and-a-half-day sessions (arrive Thursday evening and finish Saturday late afternoon) are held at select colleges of osteopathic medicine and provide insight into policy issues pertinent to their location. The remaining four sessions are held virtually during non-travel months. Virtual weekend sessions are typically held on a Friday (12-7 p.m. ET) and Saturday (12-5 p.m. ET). Between monthly seminars, fellows are expected to devote a minimum of 20 hours to reading, researching and completing written assignments. 

Acceptance of a seat in the Fellowship commits applicants to attend all ten sessions (six in person, four virtual). By signing the acceptance letter, Fellows agree to this commitment. If a Fellow misses a session, they will complete a makeup assignment that requires them to read and apply the information presented at the seminar (based on handouts, reading assignment, and group assignment). The make-up assignment requires approximately 18-20 hours to complete. If a Fellow misses more than one session, the Fellow will withdraw and repeat the Fellowship the following year, beginning with orientation. 

The cost of the sessions, including breakfast and lunch on session days, are included in the program. Fellows, their sponsoring institutions (COM, employer, foundation, etc.) are responsible for travel, accommodations, non-program meals, and other incidental costs. To promote the objectives of the Fellowship, participants are required to stay at the Fellowship-arranged hotels during the sessions. Presently, these costs average approximately $1,800 per session, for a total commitment estimated at $11,000. The Co-Directors are committed to containing costs as much as possible. 

One lesson from the pandemic, which will continue to be valuable as we enter a new era of collaborative, virtual work, is the need for quality audio and video equipment. We encourage Fellows to examine the virtual communication setup they use for not only virtual meetings, but especially now as many alumni go on to do media work. For virtual sessions, we require that Fellows have a quality microphone and webcam to make the experience better for everyone involved. This technology can be achieved for $100-$200 and will pay back for other uses as well, especially for Fellows who wish to work with the media or serve on advisory committees. The Co-Directors can provide suggestions for brands.

Sponsors include affiliated COMs, state osteopathic associations, specialty associations, places of business, foundations (including regional osteopathic foundations), and hospitals. Upon request, the OHPF will write letters encouraging potential sponsors to support participation. While sponsorship is highly recommended, Fellows who choose to assume all costs of their own will be considered.

No. CME credit is not provided for participation in the Fellowship.

Session dates and locations will be posted a month prior to the application window to facilitate applicant planning. A month before each seminar, Fellows will receive the reading assignment and information about lodging. The Fellowship makes group hotel arrangements for each session. We seek to conserve everyone’s travel budget by working with our site hosts to identify quality accommodations at a reasonable cost.

Fellows make their own travel arrangements to and from the seminars but will log those arrangements with the OHPF Coordinator to ensure group cohesion. 

Fellows spend approximately 20 hours on OHPF assignments in between sessions. 

Fellows will receive a syllabus that specifies interim and final due dates. The assignment is designed to take a large task and break it into manageable pieces. Briefs completed in increments and edited several times tend to be stronger products than those handed in at the last minute.

Fellows are encouraged to present their brief as either a seminar or poster session at the AACOM Educating Leaders Annual Conference, OMED, ACOFP Annual Convention and Scientific Seminars, and similar national audiences. After graduation, the Co-Directors often invite alumni to be involved in the program in various ways. In the interest of building community and continuing to grow, the Co-Directors welcome opportunities for working with alumni in an ongoing way including the development and publication of professional and lay-media editorials, academic manuscripts, and other outlets of broader interest.

Yes, Fellows will receive an AACOM certificate of graduation in June.