Osteopathic Education in Surgery

Osteopathic education in surgery has undergone significant changes, especially with the transition to a single ACGME accreditation system in 2020. Despite initial concerns about equitable access and representation, studies have highlighted increasing competitiveness of osteopathic medical students in surgical residency matches and comparable outcomes between allopathic and osteopathic surgeons, affirming the quality of osteopathic training. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, recent president of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS) and General Surgery program director at Cleveland Clinic South Pointe Hospital, about osteopathy in general surgery. We delve into the role of osteopathic principles in surgical training and practice and the impact of transitioning to a single accreditation system. Dr. Conrad-Schnetz shares insights on overcoming misconceptions about DO surgeons and her vision for the future of osteopathic recognition in surgery. 

Join hosts Pooja Varman MD, Judith French PhD, and Jeremy Lipman MD, MHPE for this exciting conversation with Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, DO. 

Learning Objectives
By the end of this episode, listeners will be able to 
1.     List the four tenets of osteopathic medicine
2.     Identify how osteopathic principles and practices can be incorporated into surgical practice
3.     Explain the significance of osteopathic recognition in residency programs
4.     Discuss strategies for promoting equity for DO surgery residents

References
1.  Williamson TK, Martinez VH, Ojo DE, et al. An analysis of osteopathic medical students applying to surgical residencies following transition to a single graduate medical education accreditation system. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. 2024;124(2):51-59. doi:10.1515/jom-2023-0118 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37921195/

2.  Russell TA, Yoshida R, Men M, et al. Comparison of Outcomes for Patients Treated by Allopathic vs Osteopathic Surgeons. JAMA Surgery. Published online October 16, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2024.4580 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39412774/

3.  Etheart I, Krise SM, Burns JB, Conrad-Schnetz K. The Effect of Single Accreditation on Medical Student Match Rates in Surgical Specialties. Cureus. 2021;13(4):e14301. doi:10.7759/cureus.14301 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33968513/

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