Do I need to keep my AOA membership since I'm going into a ACGME residency?

[blackout02]

So, do I need to pay these AOA membership fees to stay with the AOA since I'm in an ACGME residency? Or can I leave the AOA? I can't seem to find the exact answer so far, and it sounds like ACGME/AMA membership may be cheaper.

I don't know if it matters but I took both of the comlex levels and usmle steps and was planning to finish with comlex 3, but if I did usmle step 3 instead would this make a difference?

Thanks all

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[deleted480308]

You don't "need" any professional society membership that you don't want.

For example, I don't keep an AMA membership because I don't think they do a good job of advocacy and don't agree with a number of their positions.

I only keep memberships that I think have potential benefit to me professionally.


Edit: Just realized from reading another thread that DOs are required by AOA to keep an active membership in order to be board eligible when graduating from an AOA residency. Well that's a total scam. OP - if I read right you don't need AOA membership if going ACGME, but maybe a better post for the DO forums.

I believe that has been/is being ended

 

[Goro]

May I suggest that you keep the membership, engage in work for the organization, and get into a position that you can do something about the mindless expansion of DO schools, and get more teeth into COCA? If enough of you and your peers band together, then you can undo the damage all those old country docs have done with their "more DOs good!" mentality.

 

[racerwad]

May I suggest that you keep the membership, engage in work for the organization, and get into a position that you can do something about the mindless expansion of DO schools, and get more teeth into COCA? If enough of you and your peers band together, then you can undo the damage all those old country docs have done with their "more DOs good!" mentality.

While I admire @Goro 's idealism, many of us who are in ACGME are not members of the AOA. I do not live in one of the Resolution 42 states (and never plan to). In my limited experience, being a member would have saved me $20 when I needed the AOA to verify me for my license application. Therefore, I do not believe it is worth it, IMHO.

 

[b52bomber]

So, do I need to pay these AOA membership fees to stay with the AOA since I'm in an ACGME residency? Or can I leave the AOA? I can't seem to find the exact answer so far, and it sounds like ACGME/AMA membership may be cheaper.

I don't know if it matters but I took both of the comlex levels and usmle steps and was planning to finish with comlex 3, but if I did usmle step 3 instead would this make a difference?

Thanks all

Did you take both USMLE Step 2CK and CS? Because I believe you need both to take USMLE Step 3.

 

[Raryn]

So, do I need to pay these AOA membership fees to stay with the AOA since I'm in an ACGME residency? Or can I leave the AOA? I can't seem to find the exact answer so far, and it sounds like ACGME/AMA membership may be cheaper.

I don't know if it matters but I took both of the comlex levels and usmle steps and was planning to finish with comlex 3, but if I did usmle step 3 instead would this make a difference?

Thanks all

Licensure and board certification are different.

You will need COMLEX 3 to get licensed. No big deal, no state requires AOA membership for licensure. Taking USMLE 3 is absolutely positively worthless to you.

To be board certified by ABMS (which is the certifying organization after ACGME residencies), you need no society memberships. AMA membership, specialty society membership, etc are all completely optional. I'm an AMA member, but I let it lapse at one point and my ABIM certification was in no danger. I also let my ACP membership lapse, no big deal.

To be board certified by an osteopathic board, you need to be an AOA member. As a graduate of an ACGME residency, you'd also have to jump through some random hoops to qualify. But it doesn't matter, you can just get board certified by the ACGME and ignore those hoops.

The only thing you might need the AOA for at this point is either A) licensure in a handful of states that require their blessing if you didn't do an AOA accredited residency or B) maintenance of licensure in a number of states where the osteopathic medical board requires osteopath specific CME. If you're in a state where B) applies, you may have trouble finding the appropriate CME outside the auspices of the AOA.

 

[blackout02]

Thanks for all of the responses so far! With the future of resolution 42 in question with the combined residencies I wonder if the 5 hold out states that require AOA inter year will be able to keep me out since after the merger if I don't stay in the AOA. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[group_theory]

Thanks for all of the responses so far! With the future of resolution 42 in question with the combined residencies I wonder if the 5 hold out states that require AOA inter year will be able to keep me out since after the merger if I don't stay in the AOA. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

Who knows what the states will do with their AOA intern year requirement in the future with the merger. In the meanwhile, it would make sense to get Resolution 42 done just in case ... you never know how the future will turn out (and where you may ultimately end up practicing ... or if you join a group that does telemedicine that involves one of those states)

You only need to be an AOA member to do resolution 42. Once that is done, no need remain a member unless you want to

You don't need to be an AOA member to take COMLEX 3. I would suggest taking/completing the COMLEX series which will make you eligible for license in all US states/territories. If you take USMLE 3 but not COMLEX 3, you will be ineligible for licensure in certain states (California, Florida, etc) since they will not recognize your USMLE 3 for license purposes.

Unless you want to be AOA specialty boarded (instead of ABMS), you don't need AOA membership. Since you're doing an ACGME residency, no reason to pursue AOA board certification. In the past, this was a route some DOs who did ACGME residency but AOA fellowship would need to get AOA recognition of their residency (Resolution 56) in order to take the AOA board certifiation and AOA subspecialty certification. With the merger, likely a moot point.

Overall, no need for AOA membership beyond intern year, and only keep during intern year for Resolution 42 (not require, but I recommend because you never know what the future might bring)

 

[PistolPete]

I've parted ways with my AOA membership long time ago. I think I only re-newed it to get resolution 42 done in intern year, then that was it.

 

[primadonna22274]

Also not likely to go to one of the 5 states, but let me just say I did all the paperwork for resolution 42 at the beginning of my PGY2 year and submitted. I'm now a graduated and ABFM-certified physician and I never did hear back from AOA about resolution 42.
Not a good incentive to keep paying dues.


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