JAOA • Vol 106 • No 2 • February 2006 • 51-57
Undergraduate Osteopathic Medical Education: Addressing the Impact of College Growth on the Applicant Pool and Student Enrollment
Ann-Valerie O. Griffin, MA;
Susan Sweet, MS
From the Division of Predoctoral Education, Department of Accreditation,
American Osteopathic Association in Chicago, Ill.
Address correspondence to Ann-Valerie O. Griffin, Division of Predoctoral
Education, Department of Accreditation, American Osteopathic Association, 142
E Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611-2864.E-mail:
agriffin{at}osteopathic.org
This article presents basic data regarding the 20 accredited colleges of
osteopathic medicine (COM) for the 2004–2005 academic year. Information
in this article has been adapted from the American Association of Colleges of
Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)/American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Annual
Osteopathic Medical School Questionnaire for the 2004–2005 academic
year, fiscal year (FY) 2003, and the 2005–2006 AACOM Tuition Survey. In
addition, the draft of the AACOM's 2004 Annual Statistical Report and
its historical database compiled from previous surveys were used to prepare
this article.
 |
Shared Challenges in the Medical Community
|
|---|
In the 2004–2005 academic year, COMs confronted a number of
challenges also facing the wider medical community in the United States. Some
of these challenges were noted by Jordan J. Cohen, MD, former president of the
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in his presidential address
of November 2005.1
The AAMC president called for allopathic medical schools in the United States
to increase their student capacity by 30% over the next decade. Dr Cohen
issued this call in response to a possible physician shortage that some
studies have
predicted.2–4
Dr Cohen also used his address to identify the following five challenges
facing allopathic medical schools in the United States: (1) increasing the
racial and ethnic diversity of the medical profession; (2) leading the
transformation of the healthcare system; (3) strengthening the continuum of
medical education; (4) upholding the integrity of research and ensuring the
safety of human research subjects; and (5) enlarging the capacity of medical
schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
Colleges of osteopathic medicine and the osteopathic medical profession are
facing challenges similar to those outlined in Dr Cohen's speech. As is
addressed in the present article, osteopathic medical schools are successfully
meeting some of these challenges by substantially increasing the student
enrollment of women and members of ethnic minorities. Another success for
osteopathic medical schools has been maintaining the stability of entrance
credentials during a time of modest increases in class sizes. Although beyond
the scope of this article, the osteopathic medical profession has, for several
years, been examining methods to strengthen the educational continuum, from
the undergraduate phase to graduate medical education and continuing medical
education.5,6
This article also addresses how requests for increasing class sizes and the
development of new COMs are affecting school applications, enrollment, and
entrance credentials. Finally, tuition, revenues, and expenditures at COMs are
summarized.
|
Increases in Class Size and Growth of New COMs
|
|---|
In anticipation of the possible looming physician
shortage,2–4
many COMs have made requests to the American Osteopathic Association's
Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) for increases in class
sizes. Since 1999, COCA has fielded nearly 25 requests for class-size
increases submitted by 85% of the COMs. These requests have resulted in
approximately 700 additional students being admitted into COMs.
Since 2004, COCA has received several applications to establish new COMs.
The Commission works diligently to review such applications and other required
support materials.
It is likely that the establishment of new COMs is related to the perceived
growing need for physicians in the United States, as well as to an increased
number of highly qualified applicants and the success that COMs have had in
developing community-based primary care clinical education opportunities.
|
Osteopathic Medical School Applicants
|
|---|
With the many requests for increases in class size being made by existing
COMs and the increasing number of new COMs, an important question is raised:
What effects are these changes having on the applicant pool?
All 20 COMs experienced an increase in the number of applications for the
2004–2005 academic year, representing an overall increase in
applications of 19.8% from the 2003–2004 academic year
(Table 1). The five
colleges with the most applications received, in consecutive order, were the
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM); New York College of
Osteopathic Medicine of New York Institute of Technology (NYCOM/NYIT);
Midwestern University/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (MWU/CCOM); Lake
Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (Pennsylvania [LECOM] and Florida
[LECOM-Bradenton] campuses combined); and Kirksville College of Osteopathic
Medicine of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (KCOM/ATSU). The overall
19.8% growth in applications between the 2003–2004 academic year and the
2004–2005 academic year compares with the 5.8% growth documented between
the 2002–2003 and 2003–2004 academic
years.7
View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Table 2 Characteristics of Applicants to Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
Participating in the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
Application Service by Year of Matriculation, No.
(%)*
|
|
View larger version (13K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 1. Number of osteopathic medical school applicants processed by the
American Association of Osteopathic Medicine Applications Service, by ethnic
group and academic year. Underrepresented minorities include blacks,
Hispanics, and Native Americans.
|
|
Among those school applications that were processed by the American
Association of Osteopathic Medicine Applications Service (AACOMAS), there was
a 14% increase between 2004 (n=7240) and 2005 (n=8255).
(Table 2). (The
AACOMAS-processed applications do not include those individuals who applied
directly to the schools.) The total number of AACOMAS-processed applications
from members of underrepresented minority groups (blacks, Hispanics, Native
Americans) has been on the rise since 2002—in an increase that mirrors
that of white, non-Hispanic applicants and Asian/Pacific Islander applicants
(Figure 1). In
addition, the percentage of women applying to COMs has steadily increased
since 2000 (Table
2).
It is clear that the representation of minority and women applicants to
COMs is on the rise, proving that such groups are available to meet the
challenge of increasing racial and ethnic diversity in medicine. Furthermore,
the enrollment data reveals that these minority and women applicants are being
selected to attend COMs.
|
Enrollment
|
|---|
First-year student enrollment at COMs continues to increase. The first-year
student enrollment in the 2004–2005 academic year was 3646, an increase
of 338 students over the previous academic year
(Figure 2). The
growing number of students enrolled during the past decade is consistent with
the requests of COMs for class-size increases and the approvals of such
requests by COCA.
Like the number of applications by ethnic minority students to COMs, the
percentage of ethnic minority students enrolled in COMs also increased in the
2004–2005 academic year. Asian/Pacific Islander, black, Hispanic, and
Native American students represented 23.9% of the total enrollment at COMs
during the 2004–2005 academic year
(Table 3). This ethnic
minority enrollment represents a slight increase from the previous academic
year (23.2%).7
The number and percentage of women enrolled at COMs continues to increase.
In the 2004–2005 academic year, 48.8% of all students were women, and
the total number of women enrolled was 6115
(Table 4).
The steady increase of women and members of ethnic minority groups applying
to and enrolling in COMs may be attributable to recruitment programs that have
placed high value on greater diversity among students. Another possible
explanation for this increase is that many women and members of minority
groups may be receiving the familial and financial support necessary to pursue
an osteopathic medical degree.
|
College Records of First-Year Students
|
|---|
First-year osteopathic medical students entering the 2004–2005
academic year had a mean grade point average (GPA) of 3.43. Mean scores of
Medical College Admission Tests (MCAT) for these first-year students were as
follows: biological sciences, 8.53; physical sciences, 7.89; and verbal
reasoning, 8.24 (Figure
3). The mean MCAT scores of osteopathic medical students
entering the 2004–2005 academic year were greater than the MCAT means of
the previous academic year in the verbal reasoning, physical sciences, and
biological sciences sections of the test
(Figure 3). The mean
GPA for 2004–2005 (3.43) was equivalent to that reported in the
2001–2002 and 2002–2003 academic
years.7
|
Tuition
|
|---|
For the 2004–2005 academic year, tuition averaged $16,445 for
in-state residents in public osteopathic medical schools and $28,078 in
private osteopathic medical schools. For out-of-state residents, tuition
averaged $32,753 in public schools and $30,606 in private schools
(Table 5).
Many students benefit from government funding, which continues to play an
important role in the fiscal health of osteopathic medical education. The US
Armed Forces, through the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program,
also continues to be an important source of funds for osteopathic medical
students and schools. Accessibility to such scholarship programs and financial
aid allows osteopathic medical education to be within reach for many students
who would otherwise not be able to attend school.
|
Revenues and Expenditures at COMs
|
|---|
For FY 2004, the 20 COMs reported revenues totaling approximately $852
million, which constitutes a 5.1% increase from 2003 ($810
million).7,8
As in the past, tuition contributes substantially more to total revenues in
the private schools than it does in the public schools, which draw more
heavily from state subsidies.
Total expenditures reported by COMs for FY 2004 were approximately $759
million, an increase of 2% from FY 2003 ($744
million).7,8
Instruction continues to account for the largest portion of these
expenditures.7,8
|
Conclusion
|
|---|
There are likely many reasons for the recent growth in applications to
COMs, including the increase in women and minority applicants. Considering the
fact that women now represent half of all applicants to osteopathic medical
schools, much of the growth may be representative of women viewing an
osteopathic medical degree as a viable option. The rise in enrollment, which
is also evident among members of ethnic minority groups, may be attributable
to the high value that COM recruitment programs have placed on minority
recruitment.
In the future, the continued growth of student applications may have a
major influence on the requests of COMs for class size increases and in plans
to establish new COMs. All COMs will need to exercise greater diligence in
their recruiting efforts if they are to maintain their high admission
standards in a more "open" environment. The Commission will need
to use extra care in the scrutiny of new COM applications, as well as in COM
recruitment plans and clerkship training opportunities, to ensure the success
of future COM graduates. Finally, COCA will need to review all substantive
changes in class sizes at COMs to make sure that the quality of undergraduate
osteopathic medical education is not compromised.
|
References
|
|---|
1. "The work ahead," AAMC president's address 2005 [press
release]. Washington, DC: Association of American Medical Colleges; November
6, 2005. Available at:
http://www.aamc.org/newsroom/pressrel/2005/051106.htm.
Accessed January 10, 2006.2. Rosenthal MB, Zaslavsky A, Newhouse JP. The geographic distribution
of physicians revisited. Health Serv Res.2005; 40:1931
–1952.[Medline]
3. Excess, shortage, or sufficient physician workforce: how could we
know? Am Fam Physician.2005; 72:1670
.[Medline]
4. Council on Graduate Medical Education. Physician Workforce
Policy Guidelines for the United States, 2000–2020. 16th report.
January 2005. Rockville, Md: US Department of Health and Human Services.
Available at:
http://www.cogme.gov/report16.htm.
Accessed January 31, 2006.
5. Tunanidas AG, Burkhart DN. American Osteopathic Association
commitment to quality and lifelong learning. J Am Osteopath Assoc.
2005;105:404–407. Available at:
http://www.jaoa.org/cgi/content/full/105/9/404.
Accessed January 10, 2006.
6. Ross-Lee B, Kiss LE, Weiser MA. Transforming osteopathic medical
education [review]. J Am Osteopath Assoc.1996; 96:473
–478.[Abstract]
7. Sweet S. Undergraduate osteopathic medical education. J
Am Osteopath Assoc. 2004;104:460
–467.[Free Full Text]
8. Singer AM. 2004 annual report on osteopathic medical education.
American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Web site. June 2005.
Available at:
http://www.aacom.org/data/annualreport/index.html.
Accessed January 10, 2006.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
J. B. CROSBY
Continuity of Thought and Tradition in the Discipline Supported by Ongoing AOA Efforts
J Am Osteopath Assoc,
April 1, 2006;
106(4):
178 - 179.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. C. Shannon
Osteopathic Medical Education in 2006: Charting a Course for the Future
J Am Osteopath Assoc,
February 1, 2006;
106(2):
48 - 49.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
Top
Shared Challenges in the...
Increases in Class Size...
