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OPSC Student, Intern and Residents Information Section
Postdoctoral Training
Postdoctoral training is a fundamental part of becoming an osteopathic physician providing the opportunity to utilize the hands-on approach central to the tenets of osteopathic medicine. Following graduation, osteopathic graduates complete an approved 12-month internship. Many graduates then choose to complete a residency program in a specialty area.
Internships
An internship is an educational program requiring extensive participation in patient care. It serves as the link between predoctoral and postdoctoral clinical training and provides a year of maturation and transition from application of predoctoral knowledge to clinical decision-making skills. The internship exposes graduates to core disciplines including internal medicine, family practice, general surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics and emergency medicine.
Internships are offered in the following formats:
- Traditional rotating internship: provides a broad-based, rotating curriculum covering each core discipline.
- Special emphasis internship: provides a broad-based curriculum covering each core discipline with an emphasis in a particular specialty area but does not grant residency credit but fulfills only internship requirements.
- Specialty track internship: provides the majority of rotations in a specific specialty but also provide exposure to the core disciplines. This program grants joint credit for the internship and first year of residency training.
AOA-approved internship placements are awarded through the AOA Match Program to senior osteopathic medical students.
Residency Programs
Residency programs build upon the broad-based osteopathic medical education and intern training programs that have exposed D.O.s to the major clinical fields of medicine and surgery. From this experience, D.O.s can undertake specialty training that provides the knowledge and skills requisite for specialty practice.
A residency is defined as a formal, full-time training period in a designated medical specialty of not less than one year in an osteopathic facility approved by the AOA. The program provides advanced and concentrated training in a designated specialty.
Residency training may be undertaken with the intention of becoming board certified in a particular osteopathic specialty. A certificate is awarded upon completion of an AOA-approved residency program.
Osteopathic students, interns and residents can find information about internship and residency programs through the Opportunities database.
OPTI
Recognizing the need for a new system to structure and accredit osteopathic graduate medical education, the American Osteopathic Association established the Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institution (OPTI) in 1995. Each OPTI is a community-based training consortium comprised of at least one college of osteopathic medicine and one hospital.
OPTI-West Educational Consortium
OPTI-West is a non-profit corporation. It is an educational consortium that provides a collaborative arrangement for the sole purpose of supporting Osteopathic Graduate Medical Education Programs. It is established to promote excellence through collaborative arrangements among the partners.
OPTI-West and its partner institutions are committed to providing an academic and employment environment in which all staff and employees are treated with respect and dignity. It is their policy that no one shall be excluded from participation or subject to discrimination because of race, sex, color, creed, handicap or national origin. Inquiries regarding this policy may be made to, the Director of Human resources of Western University or the Director of Civil Rights, United States Department of Education.
OPSC Student Club
The Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California are pleased to have sponsored and promoted the OPSC Student Clubs since 1997. The OPSC Board of Directors, membership committee and central office staff have recognized the need to further advance and enhance Student Club identity, association involvement, activities, educational opportunities, promotion and financial base.
The benefits of joining the OPSC Student Club include the following:
- Members are issued membership cards.
- OSPC physician mentors are available to OPSC Student Club members only.
- Members are listed in the OPSC online directory.
- Members are invited to hold money raising events (i.e. raffles, sales) at OPSC conventions and conferences.
- Members only are eligible for the annual OPSC scholarship and graduation awards.
- Club Presidents serve as members of OPSC Board of Directors.
One of the key benefits to members of the clubs is the OPSC mentorship program. If you are a member of the OPSC Student Club and have not submitted your application for the mentorship program please click the link on your right to submit your application.
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