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TCOM: MD Degree Study Group Assessment (First Report)
- Thread starter ShadyMedicine
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The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is considering adding a MD degree program along side its DO degree program. This has generated controversy among various stakeholder groups. The reasons and goals for adding a MD degree option center primarily upon sustaining institutional growth, adding clinical clerkship opportunities at local hospitals who prefer partnering with LCME and ACGME accredited programs instead of COCA and AOA accredited ones, and recruiting MD faculty with demonstrated research track records who may prefer to work and have careers at an institution granting the MD degree.
Opponents to adding the MD degree program are concerned about the cultural impact that a new MD program would have upon the established DO program. Many opponents are concerned that the potential "up-sides" to the parallel MD degree program would come at the expense of diluting the formative professional identity of osteopathic trainees, "squeeze out" already established osteopathic post-doctoral training venues, not achieve its stated goals of increasing community partnerships, and begin down a path toward eventual professional capitulation to what many perceive as the "dominant" allopathic medical community in the DFW metroplex region.
This development in Texas is important to the entire osteopathic medical community because it serves to raise and center attention upon issues related to responsible growth that recent osteopathic graduates have been trying to bring into larger awareness for years. It also, yet again, begs the question, "What does it *mean* to be a D.O.?" Are osteopathic physicians simply physicians awarded a different medical degree or are they made distinct because of their separate training experiences, curriculum, and self-identified philosophy? At its core, it goes to the question about the legitimate need for the continuation of the two separate and parallel training pathways--osteopathic and allopathic-- for physician education that exist in our country.
Recently trained osteopathic medical school graduates who have subsequently trained in ACGME-accredited post-doctoral venues are in a unique position to contribute to this dialogue. We have had the opportunity to compare and contrast our pre-doctoral education experiences along side our MD colleagues in residency and fellowship and assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of each respective training pathway.
The more constructive conversation and analysis about this topic the better. It's my view that what is happening in Texas will soon likely begin to happen other places (with a variety of outcomes) as the ENTIRE health care community attempts to come to terms with appraising the value of the osteopathic profession in our health care system. Every health care market, their composite stakeholders, and the communities they serve, will have to determine how important osteopathic medical education is to them and how much support they are willing to give to sustain the viability of the osteopathic social movement.
http://www.osteoreform.com/index.htm
http://www.keeptcomdo.com/
http://www.lib.uci.edu/themerger/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=122794
Opponents to adding the MD degree program are concerned about the cultural impact that a new MD program would have upon the established DO program. Many opponents are concerned that the potential "up-sides" to the parallel MD degree program would come at the expense of diluting the formative professional identity of osteopathic trainees, "squeeze out" already established osteopathic post-doctoral training venues, not achieve its stated goals of increasing community partnerships, and begin down a path toward eventual professional capitulation to what many perceive as the "dominant" allopathic medical community in the DFW metroplex region.
This development in Texas is important to the entire osteopathic medical community because it serves to raise and center attention upon issues related to responsible growth that recent osteopathic graduates have been trying to bring into larger awareness for years. It also, yet again, begs the question, "What does it *mean* to be a D.O.?" Are osteopathic physicians simply physicians awarded a different medical degree or are they made distinct because of their separate training experiences, curriculum, and self-identified philosophy? At its core, it goes to the question about the legitimate need for the continuation of the two separate and parallel training pathways--osteopathic and allopathic-- for physician education that exist in our country.
Recently trained osteopathic medical school graduates who have subsequently trained in ACGME-accredited post-doctoral venues are in a unique position to contribute to this dialogue. We have had the opportunity to compare and contrast our pre-doctoral education experiences along side our MD colleagues in residency and fellowship and assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of each respective training pathway.
The more constructive conversation and analysis about this topic the better. It's my view that what is happening in Texas will soon likely begin to happen other places (with a variety of outcomes) as the ENTIRE health care community attempts to come to terms with appraising the value of the osteopathic profession in our health care system. Every health care market, their composite stakeholders, and the communities they serve, will have to determine how important osteopathic medical education is to them and how much support they are willing to give to sustain the viability of the osteopathic social movement.
http://www.osteoreform.com/index.htm
http://www.keeptcomdo.com/
http://www.lib.uci.edu/themerger/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osteopathic
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=122794
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That's suggestive that they've done the work of two doctorate-level programs. As opposed to people in real life who have actually earned both degrees.
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So call it a diploma in osteopathy. 200 hours of training in something doesn't qualify as a doctorate in -anything- anyway.
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It would be nice if SDN'er advocates of MD, DO combined degree option could attend and supply comments or if representatives from www.osteoreform.com could also do the same in order to publicly explain their positions and arguments and get it on the record.
The UNT System Board of Regents is holding a special meeting on Thursday, March 26, from 2 to 4 pm in Luibel Hall, to hear invited presentations and public comment on the study of adding a parallel MD degree at UNTHSC.
The meeting is open to Health Science Center faculty, staff and students as well as the public. If you are interested in speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting, you must register in advance according to rules set out by the Regents.
Below is the meeting's agenda and instructions for participating in the meeting.
BOARD OF REGENTS
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
March 26, 2009
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
University of North Texas Health Science Center
3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard
Luibel Hall (EAD 108)
Fort Worth, Texas
On March 26, 2009 the University of North Texas System Board of Regents will convene to hear presentations and public comment regarding the current and possible future medical education degrees at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
I. Call to Order
II. Invited testimony from one or more representatives of the MD Degree Study Group
III. Invited testimony from one or more representatives of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, and Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Alumni Association
IV. Public Comment Session
This portion of the meeting will allow for comments by individuals who register to speak in advance at the meeting, as time permits. Individuals who wish to address the Board of Regents regarding the current and possible future medical education degrees at the University of North Texas Health Science Center are advised of the following guidelines:
Prospective speakers who wish to speak during the public comment period must register in writing no later than Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.
To register, please send your name, occupation and/or affiliation, contact information, and an indication whether you are generally for or against UNTHSC offering an MD degree option to the following email address [email protected] or by U.S. mail to the UNT System Board of Regents, Attn: Kay Miles, 1155 Union Circle #310907, Denton, Texas, 76203-5017.
Speakers during the public comment period will be allotted no more than 3 minutes each to allow for the broadest possible level of public participation.
Speakers are asked to avoid repetitive testimony in order to maximize the number of speakers able to address the Board in the time allotted. The Board will alternate speakers representing different organizations and points of view, as much as possible.
Speakers who are not reached before the end of the meeting may submit their comments in writing at the meeting or to the UNT System Board of Regents at the above address.
The UNT System Board of Regents is holding a special meeting on Thursday, March 26, from 2 to 4 pm in Luibel Hall, to hear invited presentations and public comment on the study of adding a parallel MD degree at UNTHSC.
The meeting is open to Health Science Center faculty, staff and students as well as the public. If you are interested in speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting, you must register in advance according to rules set out by the Regents.
Below is the meeting's agenda and instructions for participating in the meeting.
BOARD OF REGENTS
SPECIAL CALLED MEETING
March 26, 2009
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
University of North Texas Health Science Center
3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard
Luibel Hall (EAD 108)
Fort Worth, Texas
On March 26, 2009 the University of North Texas System Board of Regents will convene to hear presentations and public comment regarding the current and possible future medical education degrees at the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
I. Call to Order
II. Invited testimony from one or more representatives of the MD Degree Study Group
III. Invited testimony from one or more representatives of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, and Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Alumni Association
IV. Public Comment Session
This portion of the meeting will allow for comments by individuals who register to speak in advance at the meeting, as time permits. Individuals who wish to address the Board of Regents regarding the current and possible future medical education degrees at the University of North Texas Health Science Center are advised of the following guidelines:
Prospective speakers who wish to speak during the public comment period must register in writing no later than Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.
To register, please send your name, occupation and/or affiliation, contact information, and an indication whether you are generally for or against UNTHSC offering an MD degree option to the following email address [email protected] or by U.S. mail to the UNT System Board of Regents, Attn: Kay Miles, 1155 Union Circle #310907, Denton, Texas, 76203-5017.
Speakers during the public comment period will be allotted no more than 3 minutes each to allow for the broadest possible level of public participation.
Speakers are asked to avoid repetitive testimony in order to maximize the number of speakers able to address the Board in the time allotted. The Board will alternate speakers representing different organizations and points of view, as much as possible.
Speakers who are not reached before the end of the meeting may submit their comments in writing at the meeting or to the UNT System Board of Regents at the above address.
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Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
Student Position Regarding the Addition of an MD Degree to UNTHSC
WHEREAS, the Medical Student Government Association (MSGA) Council of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) is composed of elected representatives of each class of the TCOM; and
WHEREAS, the MSGA Council serves to represent the student body of TCOM; and
WHEREAS, the MSGA Council has made efforts to gather information from members of all classes at TCOM regarding the issue of potentially adding an MD Degree to the degree offerings at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) via email communications, personal conversations with members of our individual classes and student town-hall meetings as well as via review of the online survey results; and
WHEREAS, the majority of students state that there is no anticipated benefit to the TCOM, the community or the UNTHSC, but there are multiple risks that outweigh any purported benefits from adding an MD degree to the UNTHSC; and
WHEREAS, the process of evaluating the feasibility of adding an MD degree to UNTHSC has been complicated by a sense of distrust, secrecy and a lack of transparency surrounding the process of the study; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the MSGA Council of TCOM, in its capacity as the official representative body of all TCOM students, does hereby declare its opposition to any effort by the University of North Texas Board of Regents, its Chancellor or the President of UNTHSC to begin to offer the MD degree at the UNTHSC; and be it further,
RESOLVED, that the MSGA Council does hereby urge the UNT Board of Regents, the Chancellor of UNT and the President of the UNTHSC to stop using the limited resources of the UNTHSC to study the feasibility of adding the MD degree to UNTHSC and to use those resources to assure the future stability and continued success of TCOM as one of the nation's top ten medical schools by improving the quality of teaching staff at UNTHSC, improving its curriculum, securing 250 clinical rotation slots for third and fourth year osteopathic medical students and using its political and financial influence to establish a relationship with an area hospital as the primary teaching hospital for the TCOM; and be it further,
RESOLVED, that the MSGA Council does hereby urge the UNT Board of Regents, the Chancellor of UNT and the President of the UNTHSC to embrace the osteopathic heritage of the UNTHSC and the TCOM and to use the strengths of the school and its strong record of academic excellence to promote its unique product to the community at large in order to better serve the community, area hospitals, alumni and current and future students.
PASSED: one abstention, zero nays.
Student Position Regarding the Addition of an MD Degree to UNTHSC
WHEREAS, the Medical Student Government Association (MSGA) Council of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) is composed of elected representatives of each class of the TCOM; and
WHEREAS, the MSGA Council serves to represent the student body of TCOM; and
WHEREAS, the MSGA Council has made efforts to gather information from members of all classes at TCOM regarding the issue of potentially adding an MD Degree to the degree offerings at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) via email communications, personal conversations with members of our individual classes and student town-hall meetings as well as via review of the online survey results; and
WHEREAS, the majority of students state that there is no anticipated benefit to the TCOM, the community or the UNTHSC, but there are multiple risks that outweigh any purported benefits from adding an MD degree to the UNTHSC; and
WHEREAS, the process of evaluating the feasibility of adding an MD degree to UNTHSC has been complicated by a sense of distrust, secrecy and a lack of transparency surrounding the process of the study; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the MSGA Council of TCOM, in its capacity as the official representative body of all TCOM students, does hereby declare its opposition to any effort by the University of North Texas Board of Regents, its Chancellor or the President of UNTHSC to begin to offer the MD degree at the UNTHSC; and be it further,
RESOLVED, that the MSGA Council does hereby urge the UNT Board of Regents, the Chancellor of UNT and the President of the UNTHSC to stop using the limited resources of the UNTHSC to study the feasibility of adding the MD degree to UNTHSC and to use those resources to assure the future stability and continued success of TCOM as one of the nation's top ten medical schools by improving the quality of teaching staff at UNTHSC, improving its curriculum, securing 250 clinical rotation slots for third and fourth year osteopathic medical students and using its political and financial influence to establish a relationship with an area hospital as the primary teaching hospital for the TCOM; and be it further,
RESOLVED, that the MSGA Council does hereby urge the UNT Board of Regents, the Chancellor of UNT and the President of the UNTHSC to embrace the osteopathic heritage of the UNTHSC and the TCOM and to use the strengths of the school and its strong record of academic excellence to promote its unique product to the community at large in order to better serve the community, area hospitals, alumni and current and future students.
PASSED: one abstention, zero nays.
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The underlined text above is ridiculous. Those in opposition of the MD degree at TCOM will realize many years from now that their narrow-minded fight to "uphold and embrace the osteopathic heritage" was the beginning of the end of the osteopathic profession. The uniqueness that we as DOs claim to have no longer exists, and it hasn't for many years.
News flash to the osteopathic community: AT Still is dead...you can immortalize him if you feel the need, but just realize that in the world of modern medicine "osteopathic medicine" is on life support.
As someone in the osteopathic community, I often ask myself why we feel the need to shoot ourselves in the foot over and over again? I guess we'll ultimately get what we deserve from our self-inflicted wounds.
The underlined text above is ridiculous. Those in opposition of the MD degree at TCOM will realize many years from now that their narrow-minded fight to "uphold and embrace the osteopathic heritage" was the beginning of the end of the osteopathic profession. The uniqueness that we as DOs claim to have no longer exists, and it hasn't for many years.
News flash to the osteopathic community: AT Still is dead...you can immortalize him if you feel the need, but just realize that in the world of modern medicine "osteopathic medicine" is on life support.
As someone in the osteopathic community, I often ask myself why we feel the need to shoot ourselves in the foot over and over again? I guess we'll ultimately get what we deserve from our self-inflicted wounds.
thumbdownWhat self inflicted wounds! When you show me real statistical evidence that Osteopathic medicine is on life support I will actually take you seriously. I don't want to immortalize AT Still, heck I'm not even a big advocate of OMM but I am grateful for the opportunity presented to me to practice medicine where I might not have had that opportunity any other way and I do appreciate the tradition of holistic care that is Osteopathic Medicine. I appreciate both histories because they both bring different perspectives to the practice of medicine.P.S. Don't chime in and tell me that allopathic medicine is holistic also because that is obviously true, if you know anything about history though, they were not always about "holistic care" until recently conveniently.
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I'm grateful to become a doctor through an osteopathic medical school; however, you fail to see past the puppies and flowers of what you think osteopathic medicine is. One example that will have systemic effects in due time: enrollment and incoming class expansion at osteopathic schools including branch campus offspring is unparalleled without any thought of addressing GME.
I'm not sure what osteopathic school you go to, but we sure as heck have not been taught "holistic" medicine--we've been taught good 'ole "plain vanilla medicine" at both the basic science and clinical levels.
The so-called "difference" between osteopathic and allopathic schools is only recognized by the pre-medical world and the admissions offices at osteopathic schools.
I don't need you to take me seriously, but I do hope at some point you will take the blinders off.
I'm not sure what osteopathic school you go to, but we sure as heck have not been taught "holistic" medicine--we've been taught good 'ole "plain vanilla medicine" at both the basic science and clinical levels.
The so-called "difference" between osteopathic and allopathic schools is only recognized by the pre-medical world and the admissions offices at osteopathic schools.
I don't need you to take me seriously, but I do hope at some point you will take the blinders off.
P.S. Don't chime in and tell me that allopathic medicine is holistic also because that is obviously true, if you know anything about history though, they were not always about "holistic care" until recently conveniently.
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MD Degree Study Group Update: 03/26/09 Meeting, Executive Summary
Study Group Executive Summary Report presented to UNT System Board of Regents on March 26, 2009
Study Group Executive Summary Report presented to UNT System Board of Regents on March 26, 2009
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How come none of the staunch degree change or degree modifer (MD,DO) adovcates spoke at this event?
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Because we were told that the possibility of a dual degree is no longer on the table, and we shouldn't speak of it again.
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Is the idea really off the table??
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When the MD option was first presented, the dual degree position was on the table. Then a lot of students showed support for this option, and the official position changed to "the MD/DO dual degree is NOT on the table" and that our two options were either (A) keep things as they are now or (B) establish a separate MD school on the UNTHSC campus while keeping TCOM's DO program as is. So, given these choices, the students chose option A. But if there were a third option of a dual degree, the students would have probably chosen that based on the initial excitement over that possibility.
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So why was it pulled off the table in the first place then??? It seems like a lot of people were for it?? Could have made some big leaps in pulling everything together.
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Certainly will be interesting to follow this. Up in DC at the ACOFP/DO Day on Hill conferences there was some buzz over this among some of the leadership, and it seemed like it was fairly polarizing.
To ShadyMedicine:
I'm certainly no fan-boy, but I'd say that GME has been receiving even more attention recently. It's been AOA Pres DiMarco's "theme" for the AOA this past year, and up in DC the lobbying effort FOCUSED on a specific house bill (HR 914) to make available loans to hospitals to start new programs.
The most recent JAOA issue (March '09) is focused on Medical Education and has a couple articles that I found pretty interesting (and a good overview for new students not familiar with GME), one on just on Osteopathic GME in general, and another one Dual/Parallel post-doctoral programs that I found particularly interesting as I wasn't as familiar with those type of programs.
To ShadyMedicine:
Kind of an exaggeration there, don't you think?
I'm certainly no fan-boy, but I'd say that GME has been receiving even more attention recently. It's been AOA Pres DiMarco's "theme" for the AOA this past year, and up in DC the lobbying effort FOCUSED on a specific house bill (HR 914) to make available loans to hospitals to start new programs.
The most recent JAOA issue (March '09) is focused on Medical Education and has a couple articles that I found pretty interesting (and a good overview for new students not familiar with GME), one on just on Osteopathic GME in general, and another one Dual/Parallel post-doctoral programs that I found particularly interesting as I wasn't as familiar with those type of programs.
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You don't list your degrees after your name but your licenses....Didn't Dr. Jarvik (i.e. artificial heart guy) get in trouble because of that???? Although he graduated from an allopathic medical school he never did an internship year so he was ineligible for licensure in the U.S. and therefore he wasn't allowed to use MD after his name...
Some DO in Chicago also obtained a MD degree from South America and although his MD degree was legitimate since he was never licensed in this country as a MD he was sanctioned by the medical board for using the MD title.
So the initials after your name are based on the obtained license(s) not your degree(s)… Another way to put it is that they indicate your profession (what you do) not your degree(s)…
I know you are probably thinking: but what about Ph.D. people??? they are in a different category and you don't get any special legal privileges for writing Ph.D. after your name AND there are NO Ph.D. licensing boards.
Therefore Having both doesn't necessarily indicate two doctorate degrees.
Having said that I am personally against any name change. During the past 100+ years DOs have struggled and faced discrimination to give us the right to legally practice the full scope of medicine in this country and it would be a slap in the face to them if we changed to MDs. We as future/current DOs should be very proud of our degree and professional heritage.
Also any other initials (e.g. MDO, OMD, etc.) would indicate a subtype of MD which we are NOT so, to me at least, it would be unacceptable.
Having said that I fully understand that the general public is currently burdened by having to know other initials, but dentists have two initials and vets have two initials as well so I'm not sure how they are dealing with the issue???
One other thing I would like to mention is that if some of you are so interested in having both initials, you should fight for DO,MD not the reverse.
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Veterinarians have DVM or VMD (Pennsylvania only) and dentists have DDS or DMD. They're both three initials.
But that's them. I only want to be a DO.
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You should be proud of your D.O. degree. I am earning my O.D. degree (Doctor of Optometry) and I know how long my profession fought medicine to earn therapeutic privileges to prescribe drugs, recognition as "physicians" in medicare and medicaid as well as Social Security, and the position as the primary eye care provider in the US with 70% of primary eye care rendered by optometrists. The "O.D." degree represents that struggle over a 100 yrs and 172 scope of practice victories since 1970. I would NEVER change it because of the historical significance to me and what it means today. The D.O. degree has a very long and storied history and has basically become a parallel degree to allopathic medicine M.D.---> most D.O.'s practice modern medicine the SAME as their M.D. counterparts. That said keep your history intact and educate the public on the merits of what the D.O. degree are---> many people do not know what it is but that doesn't mean you cannot educate them. The term doctor (latin gen "docere") means "to teach." So teach!
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But you're not a physician.
I also like how you're so "passionate" about calling yourself doctor. lol
You are not a doctor, you are an optometrist. There is nothing wrong with being an optometrist, but let's call a spade a spade.
Kind of like the Ph.D who goes around at parties or social gatherings introducing herself as "Dr. Smith" only to have to explain to everyone she introduces herself to that she is a "Doctor of Women's Studies."
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Get used to it. As a 3rd year, I don't have a doctorate in anything so I keep my mouth shut. But as a physician in training, I find it amazing at the number of people who want to practice medicine but don't want to go to medical school....for example:
Nurse Practitioners - now they want Ph.D's so they can be called 'Doctor'.
Chiropractors - are convinced that they get the same education and training (the local school uses 'Teenage Robbins' for their path course rather than 'Mama Robbins') and are qualified to be PCPs.
P.A.'s - not as many, but boy, they want independent practice rights.
I've witnessed cases of patients with symptomatic MIs and EKG strips to back it up being sent home by NPs who 'weren't that good at reading strips' when a STEMI was staring them in the face....but I've also seen a patient pay for thousands of dollars worth of tests for a really simple mycoplasma pneumoniae case......
Just be the best you can be and always strive to improve...every day.....
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Exactly.
I am actually in favor of letting these people (NP's, PA's etc...) get independent practicing rights, because they will get absolutely CRUSHED by the lawyers lol.
They have no idea what they don't know. That is the scary part. I have spoken to many NP's who didn't know the difference between Chron's and Ulcerative Colitis. Wow.
Let them have their independent practice and prove how ******ed they are.
Then the MD's can say, "don't blame me, I'm just trying to clean up the mess than your NP/PA caused for you."
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http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/04/27/prsc0427.htm
The osteopathic community says an allopathic program at the University of North Texas would undermine focus on the "whole body" approach.
By Brian Hedger, AMNews staff.
Posted April 27, 2009.
Monte Troutman, DO, has a laundry list of reasons why the University of North Texas Health Science Center should not become the third U.S. university to offer both DO and MD degrees.
He said adding an MD program could undermine the main focus of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is housed at the university in Fort Worth. He said it could diminish the "whole body" osteopathic approach and potentially create more competition for residencies.
"There's been a pretty long history of the osteopathic physician feeling sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of medicine," said Dr. Troutman, president of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Assn. "You know, 'We don't get no respect.' So there's a bit of distrust when an MD school wants to come on campus."
Michigan State University, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey are the only two schools that offer both medical degrees, according to medical educators.
In November 2008, the UNT requested a study group investigate the merits or drawbacks of adding an MD program. The group included DOs, MDs, students and hospital administrators.
The group's report to the UNT board of regents in March spelled out the pluses and minuses. Among the perceived advantages were more local residencies created, increased ability to compete for state money, and better appeal of the Fort Worth area to new physicians. Possible drawbacks included more competition for residencies if no additional teaching facilities are added and loss of funds from osteopathic organizations.
The report requested that a business plan be crafted to assess economic and academic feasibility.
If the plan moves forward, the state Legislature would have to overturn a law, adopted in 2001, that prohibits the UNT board of regents from granting an MD program to the UNTHSC.
Public discussion shows division
In late March, a public hearing drew hundreds to discuss the possible MD program. Supporters, mainly from the community and local hospitals, said adding an allopathic school would produce more doctors in north Texas and help UNT gain more research money through a higher profile.
Osteopathic physicians, however, said the MD school likely would not add that many more primary care physicians to the area.
"There has been a lot of emotion," said Melissa J. Garretson, MD, president of the Tarrant County Medical Society and a study group member.
The American Osteopathic Assn.'s board of trustees voted unanimously to oppose adding the MD degree. The organization also is withholding donations to the Osteopathic Research Center at the UNTHSC. The research center was created in 2002 and draws funds from the AOA.
"One of the biggest fears of an MD program is not the program itself, but the MD program draining resources from the DO school," said Sam Tessen, executive director of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Assn. "You'll have a state budget that won't have extra dollars laying around. So, where are the dollars going to come from for an MD program? The DO school."
At Michigan State, students in the MD-granting College of Human Medicine take some first-year year science courses with the students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. MSUCOM spokeswoman Pat Grauer said students from both programs get along.
"Is there a friendly rivalry? Of course, but there's strong respect on both sides," said Grauer, who has worked with the osteopathic program since 1973, two years after it joined the allopathic school in East Lansing, Mich.
MSU's allopathic school started in 1966.
"When this started here, there were the same kinds of feelings you're hearing out of Texas, only the other way around," Grauer said. "But both have benefited from it and certainly the state of Michigan has benefited from having both here."
Grauer said that because students in both schools do clinical rotations in different parts of the state, they don't see much of each other after that first year. At UNT, students from both programs would likely have closer interactions.
DOs hope the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine remains in existence and the number of primary care physicians that it produces increases, regardless of what is decided.
"What are the guarantees that the osteopathic medical school would still be around in 10, 15 or 20 years?" said Dr. Troutman, a member of the study group. "We would prefer to know the details before we're going to jump on the bandwagon and collaborate."
The osteopathic community says an allopathic program at the University of North Texas would undermine focus on the "whole body" approach.
By Brian Hedger, AMNews staff.
Posted April 27, 2009.
Monte Troutman, DO, has a laundry list of reasons why the University of North Texas Health Science Center should not become the third U.S. university to offer both DO and MD degrees.
He said adding an MD program could undermine the main focus of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is housed at the university in Fort Worth. He said it could diminish the "whole body" osteopathic approach and potentially create more competition for residencies.
"There's been a pretty long history of the osteopathic physician feeling sort of like the Rodney Dangerfield of medicine," said Dr. Troutman, president of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Assn. "You know, 'We don't get no respect.' So there's a bit of distrust when an MD school wants to come on campus."
Michigan State University, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey are the only two schools that offer both medical degrees, according to medical educators.
In November 2008, the UNT requested a study group investigate the merits or drawbacks of adding an MD program. The group included DOs, MDs, students and hospital administrators.
The group's report to the UNT board of regents in March spelled out the pluses and minuses. Among the perceived advantages were more local residencies created, increased ability to compete for state money, and better appeal of the Fort Worth area to new physicians. Possible drawbacks included more competition for residencies if no additional teaching facilities are added and loss of funds from osteopathic organizations.
The report requested that a business plan be crafted to assess economic and academic feasibility.
If the plan moves forward, the state Legislature would have to overturn a law, adopted in 2001, that prohibits the UNT board of regents from granting an MD program to the UNTHSC.
Public discussion shows division
In late March, a public hearing drew hundreds to discuss the possible MD program. Supporters, mainly from the community and local hospitals, said adding an allopathic school would produce more doctors in north Texas and help UNT gain more research money through a higher profile.
Osteopathic physicians, however, said the MD school likely would not add that many more primary care physicians to the area.
"There has been a lot of emotion," said Melissa J. Garretson, MD, president of the Tarrant County Medical Society and a study group member.
The American Osteopathic Assn.'s board of trustees voted unanimously to oppose adding the MD degree. The organization also is withholding donations to the Osteopathic Research Center at the UNTHSC. The research center was created in 2002 and draws funds from the AOA.
"One of the biggest fears of an MD program is not the program itself, but the MD program draining resources from the DO school," said Sam Tessen, executive director of the Texas Osteopathic Medical Assn. "You'll have a state budget that won't have extra dollars laying around. So, where are the dollars going to come from for an MD program? The DO school."
At Michigan State, students in the MD-granting College of Human Medicine take some first-year year science courses with the students in the College of Osteopathic Medicine. MSUCOM spokeswoman Pat Grauer said students from both programs get along.
"Is there a friendly rivalry? Of course, but there's strong respect on both sides," said Grauer, who has worked with the osteopathic program since 1973, two years after it joined the allopathic school in East Lansing, Mich.
MSU's allopathic school started in 1966.
"When this started here, there were the same kinds of feelings you're hearing out of Texas, only the other way around," Grauer said. "But both have benefited from it and certainly the state of Michigan has benefited from having both here."
Grauer said that because students in both schools do clinical rotations in different parts of the state, they don't see much of each other after that first year. At UNT, students from both programs would likely have closer interactions.
DOs hope the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine remains in existence and the number of primary care physicians that it produces increases, regardless of what is decided.
"What are the guarantees that the osteopathic medical school would still be around in 10, 15 or 20 years?" said Dr. Troutman, a member of the study group. "We would prefer to know the details before we're going to jump on the bandwagon and collaborate."
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http://www.fwbusinesspress.com/display.php?id=10116
M.D. program push at UNTHSC sends wrong message
BY TAYSON DELENGOCKY
May 04, 2009
The recent public hearing at University of North Texas Health Science Center, regarding the proposal to add an M.D. degree to UNTHSC, clearly showed a passion for heritage among the osteopathic community and an acknowledgement of the prestige of an M.D. degree among local business and hospital leaders. Proponents argued that such a degree program would bring status and research funding.
Despite the consensus that the Texas College of Osteopathic College (TCOM) represents success, it is ironic that the proponents of the M.D. program are willing to waste resources by duplicating a parallel program to produce M.D.s instead of osteopathic physicians. An M.D. school will cost millions of dollars in salaries and perks for duplicating new deans and department heads in order to serve the same purpose. This is absolute nonsense in business and purely discriminatory towards the osteopathic community.
M.D.s and D.O.s are all physicians. All are accountable to the same standards of medical care.
TCOM students are as qualified as any other allopathic medical students in Texas. According to the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service, the TCOM class of 2009 saw average MCAT scores and GPAs of 28.3 and 3.60, respectively. Incidentally, these numbers placed TCOM class above the admitting classes of 2009 from University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and Texas A&M University Health Science Center.
It is a fallacy that the osteopathic profession does not train its students in research. UNTHSC and six other colleges of osteopathic medicine have established dual D.O./Ph.D. physician-scientist training programs to prepare students to perform research. The osteopathic institutions received over $100 million in research funding in 2004. UNTHSCs research funding achieved its record high with $32 million in 2008.
Yes, these numbers are small. Most M.D.s and D.O.s are first and foremost clinicians. In 2007, only 500 out of 17,361 M.D. students (2 percent) chose the M.D./Ph.D. pathway because they wanted to pursue academic careers. Historically, only 25 percent of M.D./Ph.D. graduates actually perform research. Most allopathic institutions harvest more research funding from their strong graduate programs in the biomedical sciences.
D.O.s have staff privileges and serve the community well at all the local hospitals, such as JPS Health Network, Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, Cook Childrens Medical Center and Plaza Medical Center. TCOM students are performing clerkships at these hospitals under the tutelage of M.D. preceptors.
It is the responsibility of local hospitals in Tarrant County, receiving the taxpayers money, to form affiliations with TCOM to create Graduate Medical Education (GME); TCOM students are well-qualified students and the community deserves it. New GME training for osteopathic graduates provides high quality and affordable talent and brings GME funding from Medicare to the hospitals.
TCOM, a full-fledged state-sponsored medical school, has produced more primary-care physicians than any allopathic school in Texas. Its graduates practice in under-served areas. TCOMs model deserves state recognition for its contributions to the care of its citizens. The osteopathic philosophy of holistic and preventive care brings a positive attribute to health-care systems. Texans and Americans deserve a true system of health care instead of a system of fixing diseases. UNT and medical educators, and local and state leaders, should take a stand against prejudice not coerce D.O.s to change their titles to M.D. in exchange for educational opportunity.
Furthermore, UNTHSC should invest its resources in partnerships with other hospitals to create new GME sites, which can be dually accredited by the American Osteopathic Association and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. What are the odds that a new M.D. school would rival the well-established UT-Southwestern or Baylor Medical School?
An enhancement of TCOMs uniqueness will take it to the national level more efficiently. Dr. Scott Ransom, president of UNTHSC, with his ties to Michigan, is well placed to know the success of the College of Osteopathic Medicine in that state. There, the school has secured 2,092 GME positions in 29 hospitals for D.O.s. TCOM should be able to achieve similar results: There are 4,978 D.O.s practicing in Michigan, compared with 3,346 D.O.s practicing in Texas.
If proponents still want build a M.D. school in Fort Worth, whether in a desire for prestige or out of prejudice against TCOM, then let them raise hundreds of millions of dollars rather than take money from the taxpayers. The time has come for the local medical community to unite in training its future physicians to serve the general public.
Tayson DeLengocky is a D.O. with a vitreo-retinal surgery practice in Corpus Christi.
M.D. program push at UNTHSC sends wrong message
BY TAYSON DELENGOCKY
May 04, 2009
The recent public hearing at University of North Texas Health Science Center, regarding the proposal to add an M.D. degree to UNTHSC, clearly showed a passion for heritage among the osteopathic community and an acknowledgement of the prestige of an M.D. degree among local business and hospital leaders. Proponents argued that such a degree program would bring status and research funding.
Despite the consensus that the Texas College of Osteopathic College (TCOM) represents success, it is ironic that the proponents of the M.D. program are willing to waste resources by duplicating a parallel program to produce M.D.s instead of osteopathic physicians. An M.D. school will cost millions of dollars in salaries and perks for duplicating new deans and department heads in order to serve the same purpose. This is absolute nonsense in business and purely discriminatory towards the osteopathic community.
M.D.s and D.O.s are all physicians. All are accountable to the same standards of medical care.
TCOM students are as qualified as any other allopathic medical students in Texas. According to the Texas Medical & Dental Schools Application Service, the TCOM class of 2009 saw average MCAT scores and GPAs of 28.3 and 3.60, respectively. Incidentally, these numbers placed TCOM class above the admitting classes of 2009 from University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and Texas A&M University Health Science Center.
It is a fallacy that the osteopathic profession does not train its students in research. UNTHSC and six other colleges of osteopathic medicine have established dual D.O./Ph.D. physician-scientist training programs to prepare students to perform research. The osteopathic institutions received over $100 million in research funding in 2004. UNTHSCs research funding achieved its record high with $32 million in 2008.
Yes, these numbers are small. Most M.D.s and D.O.s are first and foremost clinicians. In 2007, only 500 out of 17,361 M.D. students (2 percent) chose the M.D./Ph.D. pathway because they wanted to pursue academic careers. Historically, only 25 percent of M.D./Ph.D. graduates actually perform research. Most allopathic institutions harvest more research funding from their strong graduate programs in the biomedical sciences.
D.O.s have staff privileges and serve the community well at all the local hospitals, such as JPS Health Network, Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, Cook Childrens Medical Center and Plaza Medical Center. TCOM students are performing clerkships at these hospitals under the tutelage of M.D. preceptors.
It is the responsibility of local hospitals in Tarrant County, receiving the taxpayers money, to form affiliations with TCOM to create Graduate Medical Education (GME); TCOM students are well-qualified students and the community deserves it. New GME training for osteopathic graduates provides high quality and affordable talent and brings GME funding from Medicare to the hospitals.
TCOM, a full-fledged state-sponsored medical school, has produced more primary-care physicians than any allopathic school in Texas. Its graduates practice in under-served areas. TCOMs model deserves state recognition for its contributions to the care of its citizens. The osteopathic philosophy of holistic and preventive care brings a positive attribute to health-care systems. Texans and Americans deserve a true system of health care instead of a system of fixing diseases. UNT and medical educators, and local and state leaders, should take a stand against prejudice not coerce D.O.s to change their titles to M.D. in exchange for educational opportunity.
Furthermore, UNTHSC should invest its resources in partnerships with other hospitals to create new GME sites, which can be dually accredited by the American Osteopathic Association and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. What are the odds that a new M.D. school would rival the well-established UT-Southwestern or Baylor Medical School?
An enhancement of TCOMs uniqueness will take it to the national level more efficiently. Dr. Scott Ransom, president of UNTHSC, with his ties to Michigan, is well placed to know the success of the College of Osteopathic Medicine in that state. There, the school has secured 2,092 GME positions in 29 hospitals for D.O.s. TCOM should be able to achieve similar results: There are 4,978 D.O.s practicing in Michigan, compared with 3,346 D.O.s practicing in Texas.
If proponents still want build a M.D. school in Fort Worth, whether in a desire for prestige or out of prejudice against TCOM, then let them raise hundreds of millions of dollars rather than take money from the taxpayers. The time has come for the local medical community to unite in training its future physicians to serve the general public.
Tayson DeLengocky is a D.O. with a vitreo-retinal surgery practice in Corpus Christi.
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I'm a Texan, born and raised, but I'm currently an OMS-III in another state. The debate keeps shifting to M.D. vs. D.O., the philosophies, the history, etc. But keep in mind that the TEXAS College of Osteopathic Medicine is part of the Univ. of North TEXAS Health Science Center. At the end of the day, TCOM has to do what is best for it's graduates, the majority of whom want to practice in Texas. I don't even know of any osteopathic hospitals in Texas. And the fact is that there aren't many dual-accredited programs in Texas. This just isn't a very DO friendly state. Most people I know in Texas, even after trying to educate them on what a DO is, still interprate us as a sort of an MD/ chiropractor crossover.
Furthermore, UNTHSC has several health-associated schools -- DO, PA, etc. If they want to offer an MD school alongside those, who is the AOA to say they can't? This is my real problem: the AOA sanctioning TCOM for trying to do something so crazy as training more medical professionals. Yes, it seems impractical and would cost lots of money, but the AOA should at least allow for the possibility. TCOM, at present, is not proposing a change to the DO degree; they just want to provide their students with more options -- more residency and internship positions, more qualified teaching and research faculty, more funding from the state and federal government, more opportunities for a diverse student population. As posted previously, the AOA is shooting itself in the foot by not "allowing" this transition into a cooperative learning environment.
MDs aren't the enemy, here. We're all trying to help people, trying to prevent disease, but the AOA is wasting its time (and ours) by marking its territory. DOs have spent decades trying to say that DOs and MDs are equal. Well, are they or aren't they? If they're equal, then why the mess about switching degrees? There simply aren't as many opportunities for DOs in Texas; let TCOM do what's best for its students and for the state.
Furthermore, UNTHSC has several health-associated schools -- DO, PA, etc. If they want to offer an MD school alongside those, who is the AOA to say they can't? This is my real problem: the AOA sanctioning TCOM for trying to do something so crazy as training more medical professionals. Yes, it seems impractical and would cost lots of money, but the AOA should at least allow for the possibility. TCOM, at present, is not proposing a change to the DO degree; they just want to provide their students with more options -- more residency and internship positions, more qualified teaching and research faculty, more funding from the state and federal government, more opportunities for a diverse student population. As posted previously, the AOA is shooting itself in the foot by not "allowing" this transition into a cooperative learning environment.
MDs aren't the enemy, here. We're all trying to help people, trying to prevent disease, but the AOA is wasting its time (and ours) by marking its territory. DOs have spent decades trying to say that DOs and MDs are equal. Well, are they or aren't they? If they're equal, then why the mess about switching degrees? There simply aren't as many opportunities for DOs in Texas; let TCOM do what's best for its students and for the state.
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The Texas DO issue May/June 2009
Osteopathic Medicine: Time to Be a Distinctive Leader in Mainstream Medicine
By Tayson DeLengocky, DO
Osteopathic Medicine: Time to Be a Distinctive Leader in Mainstream Medicine
By Tayson DeLengocky, DO
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Before reading articles in DO magazines, I usually take time to scan the piece looking for A.T. Still quotes. If the article contains such a quote, I don't read it. I made an exception this time, but after reading the article I was left wishing that I had not lowered my standards. The author's reasoning for wanting osteopathic medicine to remain "distinctive" begins and ends with OMT--a skill set that only 5% of practicing DOs use, which is probably why this article didn't make it into Academic Medicine like the article written by Jordan Cohen, MD.
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Tarrant County should defend its osteopathic medical school
By TAYSON DeLENGOCKY
Osteopaths represent about 6 percent of the nations physicians. There are about 3,346 D.O.s out of 43,000 physicians practicing in Texas.
D.O.s are fully licensed physicians and are recognized as equals to M.D.s at every level of government in all 50 states. There are more similarities than differences between M.D.s and D.O.s. The main difference lies in the osteopathic philosophy of the preventive and holistic approach of these tenets:
The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind and spirit.
The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance.
Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
Rational treatment is based on understanding the body unity, self-regulation and the interrelationship of structure and function.
Besides following the exact rigorous curriculum of medical education, D.O.s are also trained at least 200 hours extra in manual medicine, a hands-on technique for diagnosis and treatment.
The University of North Texas Health Science Center recently announced its interest in adding M.D. degrees in response to the forecasts of a physician shortage. It was also approved to increase its class size from 170 to 250 D.O. students.
UNTHSC and the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine have achieved some great feats despite being a minority professional school.
It is the only osteopathic school in Texas where there are eight allopathic schools. TCOM graduates have been able to secure residencies in the most competitive specialties and the most prestigious institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
TCOM has been ranked among the top 50 medical schools for primary care medicine since 2002 by U.S. News & World Report and in the Top 20 medical schools for Hispanics in 2005 and 2007 by Hispanic Business Magazine. TCOM students have earned the highest scores in the nation on the osteopathic medical licensing examination over the past two years.
UNTHSC should be proud that it already has a medical school that serves well the community in Tarrant County and Texas by producing 65 percent of its graduates specializing in primary care and 34 percent serving in small towns of fewer than 25,000 people.
There has been a growing public interest in complementary and alternative medicine in recent years. An estimated 629 million visits to alternative practitioners in 1997 exceeded the 386 million visits to all U.S. primary care physicians.
About 60 percent of allopathic medical schools have introduced some forms of elective instruction in complementary alternative medicine. Even a tentative proposal of core competencies in integrative medicine in undergraduate medical curriculum was enunciated in hope of instilling graduating physicians with the values, knowledge, attitudes and skills to improve the physician-patient communication.
Musculoskeletal conditions and injuries are among the most common reasons for visits to physicians in the United States. They accounted for more than 131 million patient visits in 1995 and cost $215 billion annually. D.O.s have been found to be more capable than M.D.s at physically assessing musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, according to a survey of the Steering Committee on Collaboration among Physician Providers Involved in Musculoskeletal Care.
Medicine is as much a science as an art. I believe that the formative years are very important in what a physician will become. The difference of patient interaction by osteopathic and allopathic physicians has been evaluated.
UNTHSC should be proud of its osteopathic heritage and share its philosophy with its allopathic counterparts by embracing them into the osteopathic profession as M.D.s embrace D.O.s in their medical profession for the benefits of the patients and advancement of medicine. The people of Tarrant County should rally to defend this special osteopathic medical school, because Texas residents deserve the holistic and preventive approach to their healthcare that D.O.s have to offer.
By TAYSON DeLENGOCKY
Special to the Star-Telegram
Osteopathic medicine is the best-kept secret of medical professions. Osteopaths represent about 6 percent of the nations physicians. There are about 3,346 D.O.s out of 43,000 physicians practicing in Texas.
D.O.s are fully licensed physicians and are recognized as equals to M.D.s at every level of government in all 50 states. There are more similarities than differences between M.D.s and D.O.s. The main difference lies in the osteopathic philosophy of the preventive and holistic approach of these tenets:
The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind and spirit.
The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance.
Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
Rational treatment is based on understanding the body unity, self-regulation and the interrelationship of structure and function.
Besides following the exact rigorous curriculum of medical education, D.O.s are also trained at least 200 hours extra in manual medicine, a hands-on technique for diagnosis and treatment.
The University of North Texas Health Science Center recently announced its interest in adding M.D. degrees in response to the forecasts of a physician shortage. It was also approved to increase its class size from 170 to 250 D.O. students.
UNTHSC and the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine have achieved some great feats despite being a minority professional school.
It is the only osteopathic school in Texas where there are eight allopathic schools. TCOM graduates have been able to secure residencies in the most competitive specialties and the most prestigious institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
TCOM has been ranked among the top 50 medical schools for primary care medicine since 2002 by U.S. News & World Report and in the Top 20 medical schools for Hispanics in 2005 and 2007 by Hispanic Business Magazine. TCOM students have earned the highest scores in the nation on the osteopathic medical licensing examination over the past two years.
UNTHSC should be proud that it already has a medical school that serves well the community in Tarrant County and Texas by producing 65 percent of its graduates specializing in primary care and 34 percent serving in small towns of fewer than 25,000 people.
There has been a growing public interest in complementary and alternative medicine in recent years. An estimated 629 million visits to alternative practitioners in 1997 exceeded the 386 million visits to all U.S. primary care physicians.
About 60 percent of allopathic medical schools have introduced some forms of elective instruction in complementary alternative medicine. Even a tentative proposal of core competencies in integrative medicine in undergraduate medical curriculum was enunciated in hope of instilling graduating physicians with the values, knowledge, attitudes and skills to improve the physician-patient communication.
Musculoskeletal conditions and injuries are among the most common reasons for visits to physicians in the United States. They accounted for more than 131 million patient visits in 1995 and cost $215 billion annually. D.O.s have been found to be more capable than M.D.s at physically assessing musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, according to a survey of the Steering Committee on Collaboration among Physician Providers Involved in Musculoskeletal Care.
Medicine is as much a science as an art. I believe that the formative years are very important in what a physician will become. The difference of patient interaction by osteopathic and allopathic physicians has been evaluated.
UNTHSC should be proud of its osteopathic heritage and share its philosophy with its allopathic counterparts by embracing them into the osteopathic profession as M.D.s embrace D.O.s in their medical profession for the benefits of the patients and advancement of medicine. The people of Tarrant County should rally to defend this special osteopathic medical school, because Texas residents deserve the holistic and preventive approach to their healthcare that D.O.s have to offer.
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I am sorry to be of lower standards in your eyes. I am not advocating that osteopathic medicine starts and ends with OMM, but osteopathic medicine should take the lead in shaping the holistic, nutritional, preventive and integrative approach to health care to respond to a growing public interest in CAM. By the way, I am a vitreo-retinal surgeon and am proud have some proficiency in OMM. This should speak for itself.
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Different Opinions from The DO magazine regarding the MD option at UNTHSC.
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Gotta love this at the end for the home run! 
Let your light so shine before men that the world will know you are an Osteopath pure and simple, and that no prouder title can follow a human name - A. T Still, MD, DO.
Let your light so shine before men that the world will know you are an Osteopath pure and simple, and that no prouder title can follow a human name - A. T Still, MD, DO.
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It's purely a matter of personal opinion. I think its laughable to read article after article and lecture after lecture with quotes from a man who has been dead for 91 years. I can't remember ever reading a contemporary neurosurgery article with quotes from Harvey Cushing, but I'm sure there are a couple I've missed.
I could argue my position, but I would only be repeating what Dr. Cohen so eloquently stated in his article, which can be summed up in the statement that the distinctiveness of osteopathic medicine is a distinction without a difference.
In regards to osteopathic medicine taking "the lead" in CAM, if you will look at the NCCAM website for projects funded in FY 2008, you will see that the CAM train has already left the station, and it's being conducted by allopathic institutions. I found only 3 projects (no R01s) that were looking at OMT.
Oh really? How so? If this is true, why keep it a secret? That doesn't seem appropriate if we as a profession are really concerned about the well-being of patients. The only reason to keep it a secret would be to protect territory.
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Update on proposed MD school
At the UNT System Board of Regents public meeting in March, the Health Science Center was asked to further study the proposal of adding a separate MD school. The Board of Regents also requested that the Health Science Center develop an academic and business plan for the proposed MD school with the help of an outside consulting firm. The Health Science Center has posted a request for proposals for these consulting services and created a Core Team to work with the consulting firm to develop the academic and business plan. The Core Team will be led by Kathleen Forbes, MD, and Thomas Yorio, PhD. The consulting firm will be selected in July and will work with the Core Team throughout the summer and fall with the goal of presenting the plan to the Board of Regents at their meeting in November. Watch for updates on the Study Group Web site.
At the UNT System Board of Regents public meeting in March, the Health Science Center was asked to further study the proposal of adding a separate MD school. The Board of Regents also requested that the Health Science Center develop an academic and business plan for the proposed MD school with the help of an outside consulting firm. The Health Science Center has posted a request for proposals for these consulting services and created a Core Team to work with the consulting firm to develop the academic and business plan. The Core Team will be led by Kathleen Forbes, MD, and Thomas Yorio, PhD. The consulting firm will be selected in July and will work with the Core Team throughout the summer and fall with the goal of presenting the plan to the Board of Regents at their meeting in November. Watch for updates on the Study Group Web site.
Timeline:
June
June
- Consulting services request for proposal posted
- UNTHSC Core Team identified:
- Kathleen Forbes, MD co-chair, executive vice president of Clinical Affairs and Business Development and president/CEO of UNT Health
- Thomas Yorio, PhD co-chair, provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs
- Ralph Anderson, MD chair and assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Bruce Dubin, DO, JD interim dean, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Christine Moranetz, PhD associate dean for Academic Affairs, School of Public Health
- Meharvan Sonny Singh, PhD associate professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
- Jennifer Treviño, MBA chief of staff, Office of the President
- <LI class=Copy>Consulting firm selection
- Consulting firm meets with key stakeholders
- Consultants work with UNTHSC Core Team to develop draft academic and business plan for proposed MD degree program
- Refinement of academic and business plan after review with UNTHSC leadership and internal and external stakeholders
- Consultants work with UNTHSC Core Team and leadership to prepare Board of Regents presentation and report.
- Presentation of academic and business plan to Board of Regents for decision on whether or not to move forward
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The article calls for our profession to think Big and have close collaboration of the 2 professions. The question is that if we all want our profession to grow and become a household name? It is the job of our DOs to get involved to make positive changes.
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When the D.O.s in California tried to "align" them selves with the M.D. community; it wen't REAL well. Know your history. Fuethermore, have some pride in what you do, and your unique position in medicine. The opportunities you were given as a D.O. under the AOA and COCA will NEVER be equally given under the AMA. I guess Texas wants to turn out a bunch of "lil m.d.s".
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The fact that the AOA is more concerned about a parallel track at TCOM than the 3 ring circus that's going on at RVU speaks volumes about the priorities - or lack thereof - of that organization.
The best thing that any DO can do is cancel their membership and let it die on the vine.
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This article, yours presumably, states that we can be leaders in the forefront of complimentary, alternative and preventive medicine. You use the four tenets of osteopathic medicine as an example of DOs' inherent knowledge of holistic/preventive medicine. However, I think you fail to recognize that this is the standard of care for MDs and DOs alike. The whole idea of DOs being holistic healers and MDs treating symptoms is an outdated argument used by DOs trying to desperately hang on to a dying notion that they're unique physicians with something more to offer. DOs may have pioneered the movement of holistic patient care, but it is certainly not unique to DOs, as it is now the standard of care.
Also, you are asking for more training in OMM on the undergraduate level. This is an extremely hard sell, considering OMM has little evidence base (that's right - the n=10 studies, et al, published in JAOA do not count), and only ~5% of DOs use it (a disappointing number, considering the amount that could use it). In addition, undergrad education is already strained, in terms of time, trying to fit in all the latest, most important, evidence based medicine.
Furthermore, you state in another article, "M.D.s and D.O.s are all physicians. All are accountable to the same standards of medical care." By being accountable for the same standard of care, in this day and age, our practices are really not that much different, that is, unless you don't care about being reimbursed or being sued for malpractice. Also, by being held to the same standard, how can we be expected to practice CAM, which is by no means universally evidence based/safe.
As a retinal surgeon, are your vitrectomy and cryopexy patients treated any different than the MD retinal specialist down the street? You may be a nicer, more caring physician, but this has to do with the person you are, and not the medical education you received. Being that your retina services most likely don't vary from your MD counterparts, that leaves one glaring difference that could potentially spark all of these publications defending the "separate but equal" argument - you are an AOA committee member. It seems the only people in favor of preserving the DO degree and not merging are the AOA execs (national and state) and a handful of rank-and-file members. This is perpetuated by the fact that the leadership structure of the AOA prevents the rank-and-file from having a say in business matters. But that is another can of worms.
- Joined
- May 26, 2009
- Messages
- 160
- Reaction score
- 0
Believe me i have encountered rejections from practices when looking for jobs because I am a DO. I experience everyday that DO title is unknown to public. However, you need to be proud of what you are first!
Medicine is as much a science as an art. In the small field of retina, very small layer of organ, i can tell you that 5 retina specialists will have 5 different approaches to treat the same condition, even of the same patient. Here goes the evidence based medicine! Neither of the 5 physicians is wrong in their approaches.
Furthermore, Physicians use medications as off-labels in a variety of diseases, even though medications are approved for one or two diseases. Do you think that medications used to be treated on kids are FDA approved? who would do studies on kids? it is all about trial and errors...there comes the art of medicine. Then, it comes a standard of care if a majority of physicians do the same thing.
Therefore, osteopathic background can be a positive attribute to health care because you will provide a more diverse approach/ art while maintaining the standard of care.
This year is my first year of involvement with AOA or any organized medicine. I do believe we need to be active to make positive changes. I dont mind at all what title degree designation should be, but i firmly believe that OPP and CAM should be in our curriculum and a real reform in our education that we preach.
Little background about me, I never served as an OMT TA or fellow in medical school. I wish i would be more proficient! i am comfortable doing muscle energy, tender points inhibition, rib cage, etc...except HVLA. I do apply these skills to my family members, my staff and special patients as a personal favors because i am an eye doctor.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2008
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 0
Update on Proposed College of Medicine/MD school*
UNT Health Science Center
Revised 8/10/09 (revisions in red below)
UNT Health Science Center
Revised 8/10/09 (revisions in red below)
Charge:
The Study Group concluded its study on the proposed MD school at UNT Health Science Center by presenting it to the UNT System Board of Regents at the public board meeting held on March 26, 2009. At the conclusion of this special called board meeting, Chairman Gayle Strange charged Dr. Ransom and his team to study the matter further. The UNT System Board of Regents requested the development of an academic and business plan for the proposed MD degree program utilizing a consulting firm with expertise in this area as needed.
Current Timeline:
June
- Consulting services RFP posted: http://www.hsc.unt.edu/departments/purchasing/bids.cfm
- UNTHSC Core Team identified:
- Kathleen Forbes, MD – co-chair, executive vice president of Clinical Affairs and Business Development and president/CEO of UNT Health
- Thomas Yorio, PhD – co-chair, provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs
- Ralph Anderson, MD – chair and assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Bruce Dubin, DO, JD – interim dean, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Christine Moranetz, PhD – associate dean for Academic Affairs, School of Public Health
- Meharvan "Sonny" Singh, PhD – associate professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
- Jennifer Treviño, MBA – chief of staff, Office of the President
- Consulting firm selected
- Consultants work with UNTHSC Core Team to develop draft academic and business plan for proposed MD degree program
- Plan to include items such as: risk assessment, implementation issues, curriculum focus, admissions processes, program start-up costs, financial analysis, infrastructure requirements, hospital and clinical collaboration requirements, and potential accreditation issues while supporting the growth and quality goals of TCOM and its DO program along with the other HSC programs
- Consulting firm begins meeting with key stakeholders
- Refinement of academic and business plan after review with UNTHSC leadership and internal and external stakeholders
- Consultants work with UNTHSC Core Team and leadership to prepare Board of Regents presentation and report.
- Presentation of academic and business plan to Board of Regents for decision on whether or not to move forward
Future updates:
As things progress, we will update the Study Group website located at: http://www.hsc.unt.edu/sites/StudyGroup/
*Working names only
- Joined
- May 26, 2009
- Messages
- 160
- Reaction score
- 0
This week brought further trauma to the Health Science Center. Dr. Scott Stoll, tenured professor and chair of OMM, resigned. Dr. Stoll had previously resigned from the dean search committee, citing credibility issues with the president. Dr. Stoll was a respected member of the faculty of TCOM for many years, and had established the Osteopathic Research Center at the school. His influence will be missed at TCOM, and I am certain that his invaluable talents will be soon utilized by another osteopathic institution.
The fall meeting of the TOMA Board of Trustees will be held on Saturday at TCOM. Dr. Bruce Dubin, interim dean, and Dr. Scott Ransom will make presentations regarding the current status of the student body, and the future direction of the Health Science Center. There will be a question and answer period, time-limited by other agenda items, and I encourage all members to attend.
I had long discussions last week with both Dr. Ransom and with Chancellor Jackson. These conversations took place prior to the resignation of Dr. Stoll, or the emphasis would have been quite different. The president continues to assert that his proposal is driven by community interest in Fort Worth. However, the only evidence of this is a vote led by his friend Robert Earley, CEO at John Peter Smith. There have been no identified contributions to the foundation from the citizens of Fort Worth that were dedicated to fund the study. If there were funds that specifically encouraged this program, it would seem logical to identify the donors for publicity value. Are the contributors fearful of identification, or are there no contributors?
Dr. Ransom clarified the issue of the amount of the consultant contract by stating that the complete agreement would be in three parts. The first, for $100,000, would be the current consultation to develop a business plan for the proposed allopathic school. The second and third, for $200,000 each, would be to further develop the academic and business model to satisfy credentialing requirements from the M.D. medical school accrediting bodies. It has been suggested by some members that the principal reason for the current contract has nothing to do with establishing a need for the allopathic degree program at the HSC. Rather, it is simply part of the accreditation process required by the credentialing bodies. Hmm, is that what the president said? In any case, there is no wording in the contract that specifies a search for rationale to establish such a school, only How can we do it.
Chancellor Jackson was very clear in his enthusiasm for the addition of an allopathic degree at the HSC. However, he also restated his commitment to Preserve the Heritage of TCOM. The chancellor has previously said that any decision to add the M.D. degree must be made so that it mitigates any damage to the current programs. Mr. Jackson is proud of the production of primary care physicians at TCOM, but he laments the fact that the legislature has not rewarded the school with funds that are sufficient to grow the programs. Texas osteopathic physicians are eager to assist UNT with those efforts, if the contributions of our profession to the health care of the citizens of Texas are recognized by the Regents and by the consultant group.
Several TOMA members are being interviewed by Price-Waterhouse concerning the establishment of the new school. I am aware that Monte Troutman, Robert DeLuca and David Garza have already been consulted, and David Beyer and I will be involved on Wednesday. The students are inflamed about the issue, but I am not informed about any student interviews. Please send me your thoughts about adding to the value of TCOM without creating a new school.
One other issue regarding the M.D. proposal has drawn our interest. TOMA joined the AOA in a Freedom of Information request that asked for duplicates of all documents about the proposal. We realized that there would be a cost for duplication, and that this would require a lot of time to evaluate the information. However, the request took a strange turn. First the UNT attorneys petitioned the Texas Attorney General to hide over 1000 pages of communication that they deemed sensitive to their business interests. This seemed a little strange to us, but we had little choice but to await the opinion. Then, the UNT attorneys sent us a letter saying that they received our check after the allotted time, so the request would have to be re-submitted. Frankly, this is probably to our benefit, as there will be more documents. However, it is very confusing to understand the rationale in resisting publication of the work product. This action is contrary to the spirit of transparency that is common in medicine and in higher education, and that should be supported by the chancellor. Hmm. What is there to hide?
The fall meeting of the TOMA Board of Trustees will be held on Saturday at TCOM. Dr. Bruce Dubin, interim dean, and Dr. Scott Ransom will make presentations regarding the current status of the student body, and the future direction of the Health Science Center. There will be a question and answer period, time-limited by other agenda items, and I encourage all members to attend.
I had long discussions last week with both Dr. Ransom and with Chancellor Jackson. These conversations took place prior to the resignation of Dr. Stoll, or the emphasis would have been quite different. The president continues to assert that his proposal is driven by community interest in Fort Worth. However, the only evidence of this is a vote led by his friend Robert Earley, CEO at John Peter Smith. There have been no identified contributions to the foundation from the citizens of Fort Worth that were dedicated to fund the study. If there were funds that specifically encouraged this program, it would seem logical to identify the donors for publicity value. Are the contributors fearful of identification, or are there no contributors?
Dr. Ransom clarified the issue of the amount of the consultant contract by stating that the complete agreement would be in three parts. The first, for $100,000, would be the current consultation to develop a business plan for the proposed allopathic school. The second and third, for $200,000 each, would be to further develop the academic and business model to satisfy credentialing requirements from the M.D. medical school accrediting bodies. It has been suggested by some members that the principal reason for the current contract has nothing to do with establishing a need for the allopathic degree program at the HSC. Rather, it is simply part of the accreditation process required by the credentialing bodies. Hmm, is that what the president said? In any case, there is no wording in the contract that specifies a search for rationale to establish such a school, only How can we do it.
Chancellor Jackson was very clear in his enthusiasm for the addition of an allopathic degree at the HSC. However, he also restated his commitment to Preserve the Heritage of TCOM. The chancellor has previously said that any decision to add the M.D. degree must be made so that it mitigates any damage to the current programs. Mr. Jackson is proud of the production of primary care physicians at TCOM, but he laments the fact that the legislature has not rewarded the school with funds that are sufficient to grow the programs. Texas osteopathic physicians are eager to assist UNT with those efforts, if the contributions of our profession to the health care of the citizens of Texas are recognized by the Regents and by the consultant group.
Several TOMA members are being interviewed by Price-Waterhouse concerning the establishment of the new school. I am aware that Monte Troutman, Robert DeLuca and David Garza have already been consulted, and David Beyer and I will be involved on Wednesday. The students are inflamed about the issue, but I am not informed about any student interviews. Please send me your thoughts about adding to the value of TCOM without creating a new school.
One other issue regarding the M.D. proposal has drawn our interest. TOMA joined the AOA in a Freedom of Information request that asked for duplicates of all documents about the proposal. We realized that there would be a cost for duplication, and that this would require a lot of time to evaluate the information. However, the request took a strange turn. First the UNT attorneys petitioned the Texas Attorney General to hide over 1000 pages of communication that they deemed sensitive to their business interests. This seemed a little strange to us, but we had little choice but to await the opinion. Then, the UNT attorneys sent us a letter saying that they received our check after the allotted time, so the request would have to be re-submitted. Frankly, this is probably to our benefit, as there will be more documents. However, it is very confusing to understand the rationale in resisting publication of the work product. This action is contrary to the spirit of transparency that is common in medicine and in higher education, and that should be supported by the chancellor. Hmm. What is there to hide?
- Joined
- May 26, 2009
- Messages
- 160
- Reaction score
- 0
United We Stand, Divided We Fail as a Profession
The University Of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) is a state sponsored-institution with the legislative stipulation that the president of UNTHSC be a D.O. The state recognizes that UNTHSC is first and foremost an osteopathic entity even though it is comprised of Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM), the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health and the School of Health Professions.
TCOM has been an exemplary model in its contributions to the care of Texas citizens. It has been among the top 50 medical schools for primary care medicine since 2002 by U.S. News & World Report and in the Top 20 medical schools for Hispanics in 2005 and 2007 by Hispanic Business Magazine. 65 percent of its graduates specializing in primary care and 34 percent serving in small towns of fewer than 25,000 people.
Furthermore, TCOM students are as qualified as any allopathic medical students. The admitting class of 2013 has an average MCAT scores and GPAs of 29.2 and 3.63, respectively. These numbers place TCOM students equal or better than 32 other allopathic schools in the nation. Also, they earned the highest scores on Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) Step1 and 2 over the past two years, and ranked 2nd quartile on US Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE).
TCOM has tried to integrate fully into the local medical community by having a majority of M.D.s serving on the faculty and having M.D.s chairing the Departments of Orthopedics and Pediatrics. TCOM students are rotating at some local hospitals under M.D. tutelages. TCOM students have demonstrated their potentials and quality that the chair of Orthopedics at JPS and UNTHSC, Dr. Lichtman, introduced resolution-302 Recognition of Osteopathic Education and Training to the House of Delegates of American Medical Association to call for mutual recognition of education, training and board certification systems.
UNTHSC s medical school has been approved to increase its class size from 175 to 250 students by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in response to the shortfall of primary care physicians. UNTHSC president Ransom has recently established an MD study group to evaluate the feasibility of adding an MD school in hope of forming new affiliations with local hospitals for undergraduate and postdoctoral training opportunity. The local hospitals will only launch GME programs accredited from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and partnered with a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical school. For instance, Cook Children Medical Center preferred to form an affiliation with Texas A&M Medical School, which is 2 hours away, even though Dr. Bowman is the chairman of the hospitals Leukemia and Lymphoma department and also chairs the TCOMs department of Pediatrics.
The local hospitals demand of establishing ACGME residency programs may be understandable, but the request of a LCME-accredited medical school is blatantly discriminatory and prejudicial towards osteopathic community because D.O.s are qualified physicians and have something extra to offer compared to 25% of physicians are international medical graduates (IMGs), who did not graduate from any LCME-accredited medical school.
A potential threat of an M.D. school to be established in the region is very remote because it took about 15 years for the State of Texas to approve and fund a new medical school in El Paso because it costs about $100 million. A quest for a medical school to be established in South Texas since 1997 has still to wait until 2015 to be able to apply for state funding. Therefore, a creation of an M.D. school at UNTHSC would take another 15-20 years unless it is to be created at the expense of TCOMs resources.
It is a moral imperative that University of North Texas System and medical educators, and local and state leaders, should take a stand against prejudice towards a state-sponsored medical school, TCOM.- not coerce D.O.s to change their titles to M.D. in exchange for educational opportunity.
UNTHSC should focus its energy and money to garner political support from the state and local governments to mandate the local county hospital, John Peter Smith, to form official affiliation with its only state medical school in Tarrant County. This quest for political support is attainable because it has a high moral ground and it saves the state millions of dollars from duplicating a parallel medical school serving the same purpose. Retrospectively, D.O.s in Los Angeles were able to obtain from the Los Angeles County Boards of Supervisors to establish a formal osteopathic training at the county hospital, known as Unit 2, in 1923 during which, osteopathic medicine was ostracized by allopathic medicine. As osteopathic medicine has achieved parity with allopathic medicine, along with TCOMs outstanding records, it should be easy for UNTHSC leaders to achieve formal affiliation with John Peter Smith (JPS) for training opportunity for TCOM students and graduates.
Furthermore, UNTHSC should invest its resources in partnerships and starting-up costs with local hospitals to create new GME programs, which can be dually accredited by ACGME and AOA. It should be emphasized that ACGME programs are not required to be affiliated with a LCME-accredited medical school. Local hospitals will benefit a lot from new GME programs because osteopathic graduates provide high quality and affordable care and bring GME funding from Medicare to the hospitals.
Instead of creating division and evoking emotion among osteopathic profession and the lengthy time of 15 to 20 years to start of a M.D. school unless it intends to drain resources from TCOM, UNTHSC leaders should abort the plan of adding an M.D. school because a small size MD school will not take the health science center to the national level more efficiently. In the current health care trend of a growing public demand for holistic and integrative medicine, a stronger TCOM has the unique opportunity to be a leader in the field and can thus take the institution to the national level faster.
I am TCOM graduate of class 2002. I served my rotating internship and fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology in Michigan , followed by are residency in ophthalmology in N.Y. Currently, I am completing a fellowship in Vitreo-Retinal Surgery and will join a private practice in Illinois and will serve on the faculty of University of Illinois School of Medicine. I know that a large number of TCOM graduates have established their practices in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex or in all over the state of Texas and they are willing to give help TCOM as our long history of osteopathic volunteering can attest it for. Some have expressed interests in starting ENT or ophthalmology residency programs.
In the worse case scenario that there are not enough clinical positions to accommodate the class size increase, TCOM can always rely on the profession to make accommodations for students to do clerkships temporarily outside of the state until more clinical training opportunities become available in Texas. It should be emphasized there is no state requirement that medical students have to do their clerkships within the state of Texas. Furthermore, 38% of M.D. graduates choose to serve residency outside of Texas. Therefore, the stake-holders that UNTHSC/TCOM is obligated to are the citizens of Texas and the U.S.A..
In summary, United We Stand, Divided We Fail as a Profession. I implore UNTHSC leaders to take pride in that they are training qualified and different kind physicians. As a premier osteopathic institution, UNTHSC has a moral obligation to promote the osteopathic principles and practices and make the profession grow because American public deserve a true system of health care instead of a system of fixing diseases
Tayson DeLengocky, DO,
Vitreo-Retinal Diseases and Surgery, Neuro-Ophthalmology
I have again received an exceptionally well-written letter regarding the M.D. issue at TCOM from a TOMA member. Sarah Smiley is a graduate of UT and TCOM, and now practices in Austin. She read the letter from Dr. DeLengocky last week, and this is her response.
I have spent that past few minutes reading the eloquent letter penned by Dr. L. His letter very clearly states that this is a political battle against special medical interests inside the State of Texas. The Texas A&M system is aggressively expanding its programs around the state for economic and growth purposes. It is easy to see why Dr. Ransom is pushing his options for growth. TCOM/UNTHSC has made phenomenal progress as a program over the past few years, achieving numerous accolades for research and educational programs, but still lacks its own base hospital system. This element is critical for the expansion of the medical education and clinical research programs. An inability to expand the educational program ultimately limits the ability of TCOM/UNTHSC to compete for medical/clinical research, on its path to becoming hopefully, a world class medical/educational institution in the future.
That being said, I think that one reality being overlooked is that the TCOM/UNTHSC program has made great political progress due to the hard work of many TCOM/UNTHSC graduates and other DO's who have consciously and quietly integrated themselves into the allopathic community for decades in this great state. These same physicians have joined osteopathic and allopathic organizations and worked side by side with M.D.'s, providing excellent care. Their efforts have helped disprove misconceptions on the part of physicians, nurses, and people in the community. The view of osteopathic physicians in this state has improved because of these efforts and because of countless patients, who have been under the care of DO's, who have spoken well of their providers to their friends and other physician providers in the community. Osteopathic philosophy and approach to care and wellness does stand apart and is noticed
My business partner is an MD. Together, we founded one of the first IM hospitalist groups in the US and now our group has 44 board certified practitioners, and is growing. We are mixed with MD's and DO's in the group. My residency colleague, also a DO, went to work for a multispecialty clinic, and subsequently helped them develop their own hospitalist program, now numbering about 35 doctors. We are all generalists. We serve numerous underserved and unfunded patients in this metropolitan area. We are respected providers and work alongside MD's every day.
I think this has become an emotional issue for DO's because for many, these types of gains are similar to civil rights gains for other minorities. If you take a dispassionate view of the situation, there is nothing to be gained for DO's in the state of Texas by changing their degree designation. There is nothing to be gained by changing the very nature of the institution where they have all obtained an excellent education. But there is something to be lost. What will be lost is dignity and all those small, but significant gains of the few against the many, especially when the many have been wrong about the few for so long. Then predjudice wins. Again.
If our existing graduates and other supportive DO's in Texas invest more in the growth of TCOM/UNTHSC, then perhaps the institution will not need to make such inflammatory changes for the purposes of growth. And our graduates and supporters need to be educated more openly on the business and plans of the university programs, so that they feel comfortable about where their dollars of support are being used.
Lastly, Dr. L is right that DO's need to stay unified on this issue. We need to help TCOM/UNTHSC find another way to solve their problem. All legislative, legal, and public efforts need to be evaluated. DO's and TCOM/UNTHSC graduates may then need to help the effort, by working directly, helping financially, or other mechanisms. This requires vocal support and real action to assist the institution with solving its problem, so that TCOM/UNTHSC doesn't make a misjudgment about this issue.
I continue to welcome your e-mail comments following this newsletter. Your input is vital to advising your board as to the appropriate actions that should be taken in your interest. Go to the new TOMA web-site, (http://www.texasdo.org ), prepared by Rick Lin, and we would appreciate your comments regarding content and presentation. My e-mail address is [EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected] [/EMAIL], and I encourage you to tell me your thoughts and questions. The Austin office is open Monday through Friday, and your staff will be receptive to your questions at 800 444 8662.
May the best team win Go Cowboys (OSU)
George M. Cole, D.O.
President, TOMA
The University Of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) is a state sponsored-institution with the legislative stipulation that the president of UNTHSC be a D.O. The state recognizes that UNTHSC is first and foremost an osteopathic entity even though it is comprised of Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM), the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the School of Public Health and the School of Health Professions.
TCOM has been an exemplary model in its contributions to the care of Texas citizens. It has been among the top 50 medical schools for primary care medicine since 2002 by U.S. News & World Report and in the Top 20 medical schools for Hispanics in 2005 and 2007 by Hispanic Business Magazine. 65 percent of its graduates specializing in primary care and 34 percent serving in small towns of fewer than 25,000 people.
Furthermore, TCOM students are as qualified as any allopathic medical students. The admitting class of 2013 has an average MCAT scores and GPAs of 29.2 and 3.63, respectively. These numbers place TCOM students equal or better than 32 other allopathic schools in the nation. Also, they earned the highest scores on Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA) Step1 and 2 over the past two years, and ranked 2nd quartile on US Medical Licensure Examination (USMLE).
TCOM has tried to integrate fully into the local medical community by having a majority of M.D.s serving on the faculty and having M.D.s chairing the Departments of Orthopedics and Pediatrics. TCOM students are rotating at some local hospitals under M.D. tutelages. TCOM students have demonstrated their potentials and quality that the chair of Orthopedics at JPS and UNTHSC, Dr. Lichtman, introduced resolution-302 Recognition of Osteopathic Education and Training to the House of Delegates of American Medical Association to call for mutual recognition of education, training and board certification systems.
UNTHSC s medical school has been approved to increase its class size from 175 to 250 students by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in response to the shortfall of primary care physicians. UNTHSC president Ransom has recently established an MD study group to evaluate the feasibility of adding an MD school in hope of forming new affiliations with local hospitals for undergraduate and postdoctoral training opportunity. The local hospitals will only launch GME programs accredited from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and partnered with a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical school. For instance, Cook Children Medical Center preferred to form an affiliation with Texas A&M Medical School, which is 2 hours away, even though Dr. Bowman is the chairman of the hospitals Leukemia and Lymphoma department and also chairs the TCOMs department of Pediatrics.
The local hospitals demand of establishing ACGME residency programs may be understandable, but the request of a LCME-accredited medical school is blatantly discriminatory and prejudicial towards osteopathic community because D.O.s are qualified physicians and have something extra to offer compared to 25% of physicians are international medical graduates (IMGs), who did not graduate from any LCME-accredited medical school.
A potential threat of an M.D. school to be established in the region is very remote because it took about 15 years for the State of Texas to approve and fund a new medical school in El Paso because it costs about $100 million. A quest for a medical school to be established in South Texas since 1997 has still to wait until 2015 to be able to apply for state funding. Therefore, a creation of an M.D. school at UNTHSC would take another 15-20 years unless it is to be created at the expense of TCOMs resources.
It is a moral imperative that University of North Texas System and medical educators, and local and state leaders, should take a stand against prejudice towards a state-sponsored medical school, TCOM.- not coerce D.O.s to change their titles to M.D. in exchange for educational opportunity.
UNTHSC should focus its energy and money to garner political support from the state and local governments to mandate the local county hospital, John Peter Smith, to form official affiliation with its only state medical school in Tarrant County. This quest for political support is attainable because it has a high moral ground and it saves the state millions of dollars from duplicating a parallel medical school serving the same purpose. Retrospectively, D.O.s in Los Angeles were able to obtain from the Los Angeles County Boards of Supervisors to establish a formal osteopathic training at the county hospital, known as Unit 2, in 1923 during which, osteopathic medicine was ostracized by allopathic medicine. As osteopathic medicine has achieved parity with allopathic medicine, along with TCOMs outstanding records, it should be easy for UNTHSC leaders to achieve formal affiliation with John Peter Smith (JPS) for training opportunity for TCOM students and graduates.
Furthermore, UNTHSC should invest its resources in partnerships and starting-up costs with local hospitals to create new GME programs, which can be dually accredited by ACGME and AOA. It should be emphasized that ACGME programs are not required to be affiliated with a LCME-accredited medical school. Local hospitals will benefit a lot from new GME programs because osteopathic graduates provide high quality and affordable care and bring GME funding from Medicare to the hospitals.
Instead of creating division and evoking emotion among osteopathic profession and the lengthy time of 15 to 20 years to start of a M.D. school unless it intends to drain resources from TCOM, UNTHSC leaders should abort the plan of adding an M.D. school because a small size MD school will not take the health science center to the national level more efficiently. In the current health care trend of a growing public demand for holistic and integrative medicine, a stronger TCOM has the unique opportunity to be a leader in the field and can thus take the institution to the national level faster.
I am TCOM graduate of class 2002. I served my rotating internship and fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology in Michigan , followed by are residency in ophthalmology in N.Y. Currently, I am completing a fellowship in Vitreo-Retinal Surgery and will join a private practice in Illinois and will serve on the faculty of University of Illinois School of Medicine. I know that a large number of TCOM graduates have established their practices in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex or in all over the state of Texas and they are willing to give help TCOM as our long history of osteopathic volunteering can attest it for. Some have expressed interests in starting ENT or ophthalmology residency programs.
In the worse case scenario that there are not enough clinical positions to accommodate the class size increase, TCOM can always rely on the profession to make accommodations for students to do clerkships temporarily outside of the state until more clinical training opportunities become available in Texas. It should be emphasized there is no state requirement that medical students have to do their clerkships within the state of Texas. Furthermore, 38% of M.D. graduates choose to serve residency outside of Texas. Therefore, the stake-holders that UNTHSC/TCOM is obligated to are the citizens of Texas and the U.S.A..
In summary, United We Stand, Divided We Fail as a Profession. I implore UNTHSC leaders to take pride in that they are training qualified and different kind physicians. As a premier osteopathic institution, UNTHSC has a moral obligation to promote the osteopathic principles and practices and make the profession grow because American public deserve a true system of health care instead of a system of fixing diseases
Tayson DeLengocky, DO,
Vitreo-Retinal Diseases and Surgery, Neuro-Ophthalmology
I have again received an exceptionally well-written letter regarding the M.D. issue at TCOM from a TOMA member. Sarah Smiley is a graduate of UT and TCOM, and now practices in Austin. She read the letter from Dr. DeLengocky last week, and this is her response.
I have spent that past few minutes reading the eloquent letter penned by Dr. L. His letter very clearly states that this is a political battle against special medical interests inside the State of Texas. The Texas A&M system is aggressively expanding its programs around the state for economic and growth purposes. It is easy to see why Dr. Ransom is pushing his options for growth. TCOM/UNTHSC has made phenomenal progress as a program over the past few years, achieving numerous accolades for research and educational programs, but still lacks its own base hospital system. This element is critical for the expansion of the medical education and clinical research programs. An inability to expand the educational program ultimately limits the ability of TCOM/UNTHSC to compete for medical/clinical research, on its path to becoming hopefully, a world class medical/educational institution in the future.
That being said, I think that one reality being overlooked is that the TCOM/UNTHSC program has made great political progress due to the hard work of many TCOM/UNTHSC graduates and other DO's who have consciously and quietly integrated themselves into the allopathic community for decades in this great state. These same physicians have joined osteopathic and allopathic organizations and worked side by side with M.D.'s, providing excellent care. Their efforts have helped disprove misconceptions on the part of physicians, nurses, and people in the community. The view of osteopathic physicians in this state has improved because of these efforts and because of countless patients, who have been under the care of DO's, who have spoken well of their providers to their friends and other physician providers in the community. Osteopathic philosophy and approach to care and wellness does stand apart and is noticed
My business partner is an MD. Together, we founded one of the first IM hospitalist groups in the US and now our group has 44 board certified practitioners, and is growing. We are mixed with MD's and DO's in the group. My residency colleague, also a DO, went to work for a multispecialty clinic, and subsequently helped them develop their own hospitalist program, now numbering about 35 doctors. We are all generalists. We serve numerous underserved and unfunded patients in this metropolitan area. We are respected providers and work alongside MD's every day.
I think this has become an emotional issue for DO's because for many, these types of gains are similar to civil rights gains for other minorities. If you take a dispassionate view of the situation, there is nothing to be gained for DO's in the state of Texas by changing their degree designation. There is nothing to be gained by changing the very nature of the institution where they have all obtained an excellent education. But there is something to be lost. What will be lost is dignity and all those small, but significant gains of the few against the many, especially when the many have been wrong about the few for so long. Then predjudice wins. Again.
If our existing graduates and other supportive DO's in Texas invest more in the growth of TCOM/UNTHSC, then perhaps the institution will not need to make such inflammatory changes for the purposes of growth. And our graduates and supporters need to be educated more openly on the business and plans of the university programs, so that they feel comfortable about where their dollars of support are being used.
Lastly, Dr. L is right that DO's need to stay unified on this issue. We need to help TCOM/UNTHSC find another way to solve their problem. All legislative, legal, and public efforts need to be evaluated. DO's and TCOM/UNTHSC graduates may then need to help the effort, by working directly, helping financially, or other mechanisms. This requires vocal support and real action to assist the institution with solving its problem, so that TCOM/UNTHSC doesn't make a misjudgment about this issue.
I continue to welcome your e-mail comments following this newsletter. Your input is vital to advising your board as to the appropriate actions that should be taken in your interest. Go to the new TOMA web-site, (http://www.texasdo.org ), prepared by Rick Lin, and we would appreciate your comments regarding content and presentation. My e-mail address is [EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected] [/EMAIL], and I encourage you to tell me your thoughts and questions. The Austin office is open Monday through Friday, and your staff will be receptive to your questions at 800 444 8662.
May the best team win Go Cowboys (OSU)
George M. Cole, D.O.
President, TOMA
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1998
- Messages
- 12,598
- Reaction score
- 7,031
Dr. Stoll's departure is an unfortunate loss for the health science center. His commitment to grounding osteopathic principles in objective sceince is unsurpassed in the osteopathic medical profession. Dr. Stoll inherits a legacy of osteopathic research from Louisa Burns, Steadman Denslow, and Irvin Korr.
Still, he has single-handedly created a reseearch infrastructure at the HSC that will continue in his absence. More concerning is the message that Dr. Stoll's departure sends about the veracity of the health science center's allegiance to osteopathic medicine as a social movement. Dr. Ransom's inability to retain to Dr. Stoll as a viable and credible participant in this process does not bode well...
Still, he has single-handedly created a reseearch infrastructure at the HSC that will continue in his absence. More concerning is the message that Dr. Stoll's departure sends about the veracity of the health science center's allegiance to osteopathic medicine as a social movement. Dr. Ransom's inability to retain to Dr. Stoll as a viable and credible participant in this process does not bode well...
- Joined
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- 160
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- 0
UNIVERSITY
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]of ..NORTH TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER [FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]at Fort Worth
..
Education,
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]* ..Research, Patient Care [FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]and ..Service
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]
.
.
.[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]em! ..13 RIJmom, D( ), Mil ,MPH
September 14, 2009 Prc51dcIH
Friends of the UNT Health Science Center,
Over the past 40 years, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine has evolved from a noble past to the
nation's top osteopathic medical school. No one could be prouder of this tradition than we are, and we
would not want-nor allow-anything to disrupt that tradition.
After the special called Board of Regents meeting in March, we were tasked to consider developing a tenth degree program housed in a new fifth school to address physician shortages in Texas. We believe that if we do not study adding this program, our dominant position as the top osteopathic medical school could be compromised. Understandably, there has been confusion on various aspects of this issue. I would like to provide you the following infonnation for clarification:
TCOM's future
The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine is the nation's leading osteopathic medical school and we
plan to keep it that way. We are proud of its history and traditions. A new Medical College offering
an MD degree on the campus of the UNT Health Science Center will not be recommended or
accepted unless the permanent protection, security, and improvement ofTCOM is assured.
Class sizes
As presented in our five-year strategic plan, we plan to grow TCOM to a class size of approximately 230 new students per year while continuing to improve the quality of the educational experience for our students. That plan is not changing. A new allopathic degree program would be housed in an independent Medical College with its own Dean, its own separate classes, and its own separate admissions process. Therefore, allopathic students would not displace or replace the expected enrollment targets ofTCOM. Rather, the matriculants of the Medical College would be in addition to the enrollment targets already set for TCOM.
Funding
All schools and colleges of the UNT Health Science Center have separate and independent budgets and the same would hold true for a Medical College. The Medical College would have separate revenue streams that would provide direct financial support to the MD degree program as well as provide additional institution-wide infrastructure support, just as the four existing schools do now, for such things as central administration, uti lities, information technology, library, police, and student services. This additional institutional infrastructure support will improve all services for all schools and colleges, including TCOM, and decrease the burden of support across the various schools.
Tc'c1.\ Collc~~ IlJ ll'«col>ml'ic· M~d'c'in" Grad/WI, SdUlOl Ilf Bllll11edlwl )C,,';(CS Scholll"f I'llhlJc II,alll, Sch,.,! "f Heallh I'rn!,sl'''"\ HC"/lh InSlill/lel ufTc,,,s l.INT Hc,,/ill
3500 Camp Bowie HOllle""r,!. ForI Worrh,
T""" 76107·2699 817·735·2555 Fax: 817·735·2486
Study process
Numerous individuals and groups have been engaged in the study process, through surveys, interviews, and other dialogues. A 35-member Study Group, chaired by former Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr, gathered the perspectives of key osteopathic, allopathic, hospital, student, and community stakeholders. Following the completion of the Study Group work, the UNT System Regents held an open meeting in March to allow all key views to be presented in an open forum. At that hearing's conclusion, the UNT System Regents charged us to complete a detailed academic and business plan, including a risk assessment, in order for them to make an informed decision in November.
PricewaterhouseCoopers plan
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was selected in July to create an academic and business plan that would outline all the necessary details the Regents will need in order to make a decision on the proposed degree program at the November Board of Regents meeting. PwC has met with over 100 individuals with diverse perspectives, including members of the faculty, clinical chairs, basic science chairs, students and student government leaders, administration, TOMA leaders, alumni leaders, hospital leaders, as well as other leaders of the osteopathic profession and community. TCOM's new dean, Don Peska, DO, will assemble a group of key osteopathic leaders to make recommendations to permanently protect, secure, and improve TCOM.
Funding for the PWC work
The PwC study is a $100,000 effort underwritten by unrestricted money from the UNTHSC Foundation. The Foundation supports the institution as a whole-all of its schools. Unrestricted money in the Foundation is not designated to any particular school or program. None of the funds encumbered to underwrite the PWC study were earmarked for TCOM or any of our other schools. No employee or alumni unrestricted gifts have been used for this project. Funds are in the process of being repaid through community donations specifically directed to support the study.
We will continue to seek your participation in this process to address physician shortages in Texas while not losing our position as the top osteopathic medical school in the nation. More information will be communicated to you as it becomes available.
Scott B. Ransom, DO, MBA, MPH
President UNT Health Science Center
cc: Chancellor Lee Jackson UNT System Board of Regents UNTHSC Faculty, Staff, and Students TOMA AOA
- Joined
- May 26, 2009
- Messages
- 160
- Reaction score
- 0
UNIVERSITY
..
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]of ..NORTH TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER [FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]at Fort Worth ..[FONT=Times New Roman,Times]
.Education,
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]* ..Research, Patient Care [FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]and ..Service
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica].
..
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]em! ..13 RIJmom, D( ), Mil ,MPH
September 14, 2009 Prc51dcIH
Friends of the UNT Health Science Center,
Over the past 40 years, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine has evolved from a noble past to the
nation's top osteopathic medical school. No one could be prouder of this tradition than we are, and we
would not want-nor allow-anything to disrupt that tradition.
After the special called Board of Regents meeting in March, we were tasked to consider developing a tenth degree program housed in a new fifth school to address physician shortages in Texas. We believe that if we do not study adding this program, our dominant position as the top osteopathic medical school could be compromised. Understandably, there has been confusion on various aspects of this issue. I would like to provide you the following infonnation for clarification:
TCOM's future
The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine is the nation's leading osteopathic medical school and we
plan to keep it that way. We are proud of its history and traditions. A new Medical College offering
an MD degree on the campus of the UNT Health Science Center will not be recommended or
accepted unless the permanent protection, security, and improvement ofTCOM is assured.
Class sizes
As presented in our five-year strategic plan, we plan to grow TCOM to a class size of approximately 230 new students per year while continuing to improve the quality of the educational experience for our students. That plan is not changing. A new allopathic degree program would be housed in an independent Medical College with its own Dean, its own separate classes, and its own separate admissions process. Therefore, allopathic students would not displace or replace the expected enrollment targets ofTCOM. Rather, the matriculants of the Medical College would be in addition to the enrollment targets already set for TCOM.
Funding
All schools and colleges of the UNT Health Science Center have separate and independent budgets and the same would hold true for a Medical College. The Medical College would have separate revenue streams that would provide direct financial support to the MD degree program as well as provide additional institution-wide infrastructure support, just as the four existing schools do now, for such things as central administration, uti lities, information technology, library, police, and student services. This additional institutional infrastructure support will improve all services for all schools and colleges, including TCOM, and decrease the burden of support across the various schools.
Tc'c1.\ Collc~~ IlJ ll'«col>ml'ic· M~d'c'in" Grad/WI, SdUlOl Ilf Bllll11edlwl )C,,';(CS Scholll"f I'llhlJc II,alll, Sch,.,! "f Heallh I'rn!,sl'''"\ HC"/lh InSlill/lel ufTc,,,s l.INT Hc,,/ill
September 14, 2009 Prc51dcIH
Friends of the UNT Health Science Center,
Over the past 40 years, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine has evolved from a noble past to the
nation's top osteopathic medical school. No one could be prouder of this tradition than we are, and we
would not want-nor allow-anything to disrupt that tradition.
After the special called Board of Regents meeting in March, we were tasked to consider developing a tenth degree program housed in a new fifth school to address physician shortages in Texas. We believe that if we do not study adding this program, our dominant position as the top osteopathic medical school could be compromised. Understandably, there has been confusion on various aspects of this issue. I would like to provide you the following infonnation for clarification:
TCOM's future
The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine is the nation's leading osteopathic medical school and we
plan to keep it that way. We are proud of its history and traditions. A new Medical College offering
an MD degree on the campus of the UNT Health Science Center will not be recommended or
accepted unless the permanent protection, security, and improvement ofTCOM is assured.
Class sizes
As presented in our five-year strategic plan, we plan to grow TCOM to a class size of approximately 230 new students per year while continuing to improve the quality of the educational experience for our students. That plan is not changing. A new allopathic degree program would be housed in an independent Medical College with its own Dean, its own separate classes, and its own separate admissions process. Therefore, allopathic students would not displace or replace the expected enrollment targets ofTCOM. Rather, the matriculants of the Medical College would be in addition to the enrollment targets already set for TCOM.
Funding
All schools and colleges of the UNT Health Science Center have separate and independent budgets and the same would hold true for a Medical College. The Medical College would have separate revenue streams that would provide direct financial support to the MD degree program as well as provide additional institution-wide infrastructure support, just as the four existing schools do now, for such things as central administration, uti lities, information technology, library, police, and student services. This additional institutional infrastructure support will improve all services for all schools and colleges, including TCOM, and decrease the burden of support across the various schools.
Tc'c1.\ Collc~~ IlJ ll'«col>ml'ic· M~d'c'in" Grad/WI, SdUlOl Ilf Bllll11edlwl )C,,';(CS Scholll"f I'llhlJc II,alll, Sch,.,! "f Heallh I'rn!,sl'''"\ HC"/lh InSlill/lel ufTc,,,s l.INT Hc,,/ill
3500 Camp Bowie HOllle""r,!. ForI Worrh,
T""" 76107·2699 817·735·2555 Fax: 817·735·2486
Study process
Numerous individuals and groups have been engaged in the study process, through surveys, interviews, and other dialogues. A 35-member Study Group, chaired by former Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr, gathered the perspectives of key osteopathic, allopathic, hospital, student, and community stakeholders. Following the completion of the Study Group work, the UNT System Regents held an open meeting in March to allow all key views to be presented in an open forum. At that hearing's conclusion, the UNT System Regents charged us to complete a detailed academic and business plan, including a risk assessment, in order for them to make an informed decision in November.
PricewaterhouseCoopers plan
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was selected in July to create an academic and business plan that would outline all the necessary details the Regents will need in order to make a decision on the proposed degree program at the November Board of Regents meeting. PwC has met with over 100 individuals with diverse perspectives, including members of the faculty, clinical chairs, basic science chairs, students and student government leaders, administration, TOMA leaders, alumni leaders, hospital leaders, as well as other leaders of the osteopathic profession and community. TCOM's new dean, Don Peska, DO, will assemble a group of key osteopathic leaders to make recommendations to permanently protect, secure, and improve TCOM.
Funding for the PWC work
The PwC study is a $100,000 effort underwritten by unrestricted money from the UNTHSC Foundation. The Foundation supports the institution as a whole-all of its schools. Unrestricted money in the Foundation is not designated to any particular school or program. None of the funds encumbered to underwrite the PWC study were earmarked for TCOM or any of our other schools. No employee or alumni unrestricted gifts have been used for this project. Funds are in the process of being repaid through community donations specifically directed to support the study.
We will continue to seek your participation in this process to address physician shortages in Texas while not losing our position as the top osteopathic medical school in the nation. More information will be communicated to you as it becomes available.
Scott B. Ransom, DO, MBA, MPH
President UNT Health Science Center
cc: Chancellor Lee Jackson UNT System Board of Regents UNTHSC Faculty, Staff, and Students TOMA AOA
Study process
Numerous individuals and groups have been engaged in the study process, through surveys, interviews, and other dialogues. A 35-member Study Group, chaired by former Fort Worth Mayor Kenneth Barr, gathered the perspectives of key osteopathic, allopathic, hospital, student, and community stakeholders. Following the completion of the Study Group work, the UNT System Regents held an open meeting in March to allow all key views to be presented in an open forum. At that hearing's conclusion, the UNT System Regents charged us to complete a detailed academic and business plan, including a risk assessment, in order for them to make an informed decision in November.
PricewaterhouseCoopers plan
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was selected in July to create an academic and business plan that would outline all the necessary details the Regents will need in order to make a decision on the proposed degree program at the November Board of Regents meeting. PwC has met with over 100 individuals with diverse perspectives, including members of the faculty, clinical chairs, basic science chairs, students and student government leaders, administration, TOMA leaders, alumni leaders, hospital leaders, as well as other leaders of the osteopathic profession and community. TCOM's new dean, Don Peska, DO, will assemble a group of key osteopathic leaders to make recommendations to permanently protect, secure, and improve TCOM.
Funding for the PWC work
The PwC study is a $100,000 effort underwritten by unrestricted money from the UNTHSC Foundation. The Foundation supports the institution as a whole-all of its schools. Unrestricted money in the Foundation is not designated to any particular school or program. None of the funds encumbered to underwrite the PWC study were earmarked for TCOM or any of our other schools. No employee or alumni unrestricted gifts have been used for this project. Funds are in the process of being repaid through community donations specifically directed to support the study.
We will continue to seek your participation in this process to address physician shortages in Texas while not losing our position as the top osteopathic medical school in the nation. More information will be communicated to you as it becomes available.
Scott B. Ransom, DO, MBA, MPH
President UNT Health Science Center
cc: Chancellor Lee Jackson UNT System Board of Regents UNTHSC Faculty, Staff, and Students TOMA AOA
- Joined
- May 26, 2009
- Messages
- 160
- Reaction score
- 0
UNIVERSITY
..
..
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]of ..NORTH TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER [FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]at ..Fort [FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]Worth ..[FONT=Times New Roman,Times]
.Education,
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]* ..Research, Patient Care [FONT=Times New Roman,Times][FONT=Times New Roman,Times]and ..Service
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Sea[[
..
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]B. ..Ramaln. DO MBA, MPH
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]September 25,2009 ..Presid~1l(
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Friends of the UNT Health Science Center: .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Our last letter clarified information regarding the consideration of a new Medical College on the campus of the UNTHSC. We continue to stress that a new Medical College would have its own dean, financial resources, students, administrative team, curriculum, admissions process, and other infrastructure. A new Medical College would be recommended only if it assured the continued protection, integrity, independence, and traditions of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. TCOM will continue to grow to approximately 230 students, as presented in the institution's five year plan, to support the primary care and other growing health care needs of Fort Worth and the State of Texas. .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The last letter prompted several diverse responses, but one is particularly critical: "Why is creating a new Medical College being considered and how would it help TCOM?" .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]It took more than two years and many lengthy and involved discussions with key Fort Worth .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]civic, business, and health care leaders to be convinced of the need to consider this new .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]school. In the osteopathic tradition of looking at problems from a holistic perspective, we have .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]looked carefully at the various aspects of this complicated and controversial issue. .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]First and foremost, Fort Worth and Texas needs more health care providers in nearly every area. Our community has been rapidly growing and is now the 17th largest city in America. The State of Texas lags national averages in 37 of 40 physician specialties and is ranked 42nd for physician supply. These issues cannot be overstated as we plan for the future. The LINT Health Science Center has an obligation to our community and state to mitigate this "perfect storm" of physician shortages multiplied by growth. Our legacy of excellence calls for us to prepare, rather than react. .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Local hospitals are experiencing significant physician and other provider shortages and have made clear their plans to expand their medical education programs that would include both MD and DO students. Several hospitals have provided to the Health Science Center the right of first refusal to be their comprehensive partner to support the growth of undergraduate and graduate medical education programs. .
.Texas Cullege lif 0.1 leo/'(I[hic Medicine Gradw:l!c School "j Biomedical Sciences School oj Public Heallh School oj t'lcallh Projesslons Heallh Insuwles lijTexm UNT Heallh
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]September 25,2009 ..Presid~1l(
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Friends of the UNT Health Science Center: .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Our last letter clarified information regarding the consideration of a new Medical College on the campus of the UNTHSC. We continue to stress that a new Medical College would have its own dean, financial resources, students, administrative team, curriculum, admissions process, and other infrastructure. A new Medical College would be recommended only if it assured the continued protection, integrity, independence, and traditions of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. TCOM will continue to grow to approximately 230 students, as presented in the institution's five year plan, to support the primary care and other growing health care needs of Fort Worth and the State of Texas. .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]The last letter prompted several diverse responses, but one is particularly critical: "Why is creating a new Medical College being considered and how would it help TCOM?" .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]It took more than two years and many lengthy and involved discussions with key Fort Worth .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]civic, business, and health care leaders to be convinced of the need to consider this new .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]school. In the osteopathic tradition of looking at problems from a holistic perspective, we have .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]looked carefully at the various aspects of this complicated and controversial issue. .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]First and foremost, Fort Worth and Texas needs more health care providers in nearly every area. Our community has been rapidly growing and is now the 17th largest city in America. The State of Texas lags national averages in 37 of 40 physician specialties and is ranked 42nd for physician supply. These issues cannot be overstated as we plan for the future. The LINT Health Science Center has an obligation to our community and state to mitigate this "perfect storm" of physician shortages multiplied by growth. Our legacy of excellence calls for us to prepare, rather than react. .
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Local hospitals are experiencing significant physician and other provider shortages and have made clear their plans to expand their medical education programs that would include both MD and DO students. Several hospitals have provided to the Health Science Center the right of first refusal to be their comprehensive partner to support the growth of undergraduate and graduate medical education programs. .
.Texas Cullege lif 0.1 leo/'(I[hic Medicine Gradw:l!c School "j Biomedical Sciences School oj Public Heallh School oj t'lcallh Projesslons Heallh Insuwles lijTexm UNT Heallh
3500CampBow;eBuulcv,ltJ,Fort\'(/onh,Texas76107-2699. 817-735-2555. Fax:8l7-735-2486
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]An EEO/t\ltlrm:HIIl' Actlil!)
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]An EEO/t\ltlrm:HIIl' Actlil!)
..
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Inqilll!\()l1 ..[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]
.[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Hospital providers and business and civic leaders in Fort Worth have expressed their desire for both a DO as well as an MD medical school located in the city for multiple reasons, including:
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]We will keep you informed as details become available regarding this important evaluation as we consider this new degree program. .
.[FONT=HiddenHorzOCl,Hidden Horz OCR][FONT=HiddenHorzOCl,Hidden Horz OCR]~L~.
.[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Scott B. Ransom, DO .
.
.[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Hospital providers and business and civic leaders in Fort Worth have expressed their desire for both a DO as well as an MD medical school located in the city for multiple reasons, including:
- Medical residents stay where residents train. If they must go outside the area, Fort Worth loses them. Since the closure of the Osteopathic Medical Center of Fort Worth and all the other osteopathic hospitals in Texas, it is of paramount importance to partner effectively with our largely allopathic hospital medical staffs if we are to retain our residents in our community.
- While the local hospital community strongly supports TCOM and the DO program, many also want the opportunity to train MDs as well. ACGME residency programs allow both MD and DO program directors, faculty, and trainees. Conversely, AOA-approved programs restrict program directors and trainees to be only DOs. Over 95% of all hospital medical staffs in Fort Worth are MDs, so a cooperative and complimentary program could allow for a forward-thinking alignment to best ensure student opportunity and institutional excellence.
- Most patients cherish their relationship with their primary care DO; however, some have a preference for an MD for tertiary and quaternary care such as transplant surgery, gene therapy, retinal surgery, neuroradiology, etc. An MD school would present the opportunity for the Health Science Center to compete in the training and development of all types of physicians.
- Contemporary health care services are most effectively delivered by teams of DOs, MDs, PAs, NPs, PTs, RNs, LPNs, PharmDs, MBAs, MHAs, PhDs, and other professionals. The UNTHSC has a unique opportunity in becoming a leader in inter-professional education with the addition of a new Medical College.
- Our own faculty, as well as hospital and civic leaders, want to expand research and technology transfer opportunities in Fort Worth. While the UNTHSC has expanded its funded research activities over the past five years, the potential to grow research and related commercialization efforts would be improved with a Medical College.
- A second medical school would be expected to generate new jobs and substantial economic contribution to the Fort Worth community.
- A new Medical College would expand faculty and student recruiting opportunities by providing choice for targeted recruits and better allow the Health Science Center as a whole to compete nationally.
- [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]
[*]Community leaders have expressed their desire to make Fort Worth a medical destination city such as Rochester's Mayo Clinic, Houston's MD Anderson, and Baltimore's Johns Hopkins. While there are many components necessary to reach this vision, an MD school, with its related infrastructure, research programs, clinical specialties and other factors, appears to be a basic requirement.
[*]It cannot be overstated that Fort Worth has incredible pride and the desire for the best of everything for its citizens. We have examples of excellence everywhere in Fort Worth, from all of our museums to the Bass Performance Hall, and so on. Having both the best osteopathic medical school in the country as well as a top MD-granting medical school in Fort Worth would strengthen our appeal to our local community leaders and funders...
- A thoughtful and workable academic and business plan must be created that both presents a rational financial analysis and outlines the protections that would help secure TCOM's and other UNTHSC programs' long-term success.
- We must obtain written agreements with key hospital and other clinical partners that clearly state their willingness to partner and provide clinical training opportunities with both a new MD program and the existing DO program.
- The Fort Worth community must show their monetary support for a new MD program as well as their continued support of TCOM.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica]We will keep you informed as details become available regarding this important evaluation as we consider this new degree program. .
.[FONT=HiddenHorzOCl,Hidden Horz OCR][FONT=HiddenHorzOCl,Hidden Horz OCR]~L~.
.[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][FONT=Arial,Helvetica]Scott B. Ransom, DO .
.
- Joined
- Nov 21, 1998
- Messages
- 12,598
- Reaction score
- 7,031
"Most patients cherish their relationship with their primary care DO; however, some have a preference for an MD for tertiary and quaternary care such as transplant surgery, gene therapy, retinal surgery, neuroradiology, etc. An MD school would present the opportunity for the Health Science Center to compete in the training and development of all types of physicians."
This statement grossly misrepresants the fact that DO's are complete physicians trained in all aspects of medicine from primary through quaternary care.
DO's have been involved in transplant surgery (including facial transplant surgery Cleveland Clinic), gene therapy, retinal surgery, and neuroradiology. Again, the way that these small "slips" make their way into various documents causes one to pause and wonder if the drivers of this process actually understand what they are doing.
This statement grossly misrepresants the fact that DO's are complete physicians trained in all aspects of medicine from primary through quaternary care.
DO's have been involved in transplant surgery (including facial transplant surgery Cleveland Clinic), gene therapy, retinal surgery, and neuroradiology. Again, the way that these small "slips" make their way into various documents causes one to pause and wonder if the drivers of this process actually understand what they are doing.
Everybody I see here keeps talking about these efforts to expand the number of physicians practicing in Texas and how an MD program would grant more opportunities in Texas and the impact on the DO profession and what would this new MD program at TCOM really mean and on and on and on...
Everybody seems to be completely missing the fact that the truth is its all about business! Expanding the university by adding an MD degree makes for a larger student enrollment and more tuition money. So lets get real! All this talk about DO and MD and what is trying to be done here is rediculous. They dont care about the heritage of traditional osteopaths or the current face of the DO profession, they care about getting another program up and running that can potentially double the income earned by their current DO program. At the end of the day its really all business here NOT medicine NOT profession...
Everybody seems to be completely missing the fact that the truth is its all about business! Expanding the university by adding an MD degree makes for a larger student enrollment and more tuition money. So lets get real! All this talk about DO and MD and what is trying to be done here is rediculous. They dont care about the heritage of traditional osteopaths or the current face of the DO profession, they care about getting another program up and running that can potentially double the income earned by their current DO program. At the end of the day its really all business here NOT medicine NOT profession...
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