Amended in Assembly September 1, 2015

Amended in Assembly August 19, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 97

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Rodriguez)

(Coauthors: Senators Hernandez and Leyva)

July 16, 2015

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 97—Relative to medicine.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 97, as amended, Bonilla. Medical training: osteopathic students.

This begin delete measure would end delete begin insert measure, among other things, would end insert urge both private and public medical training institutions in the state to provide equal access to osteopathic and allopathic students to apply to training programs, would urge osteopathic medical schools, allopathic medical schools, and their training institutions to build on current successes of working toward greater collaboration and coordination of education and training for California’s future physicians, and would urge efforts by training institutions and allopathic and osteopathic medical schools to work toward greater acceptance and integration of osteopathic and allopathic students.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, California has a significant shortage and inequitable
distribution of physicians throughout the state due to the aging
population, current population growth, and the increasing number
of insured; and

WHEREAS, According to a study by the Robert Graham Center
in 2013, it was estimated that the state would need 8,243 more
primary care physicians by 2030, a begin delete 32 end delete begin insert 32 end insert begin insert - end insert percent increase of its
current workforce; and

WHEREAS, The state’s ability to meet the need for primary
care osteopathic physicians (DOs) and allopathic physicians begin insert (MDs) end insert
is directly affected by the number of medical residency slots
available in physician training programs across the state, and the
current begin delete amount end delete begin insert number end insert of graduate medical education slots must
be increased substantially; and

WHEREAS, DOs are one of the fastest growing segments of
health care professionals in the United States. By 2016, more than
100,000 DOs are expected to be in active medical practice; and

WHEREAS, Approximately 60 percent of practicing DOs
specialize in primary care fields such as family medicine, internal
medicine, and pediatrics, and many DOs fill a critical need by
practicing in rural and other medically underserved areas; and

WHEREAS, Beginning in 2020, osteopathic (DO) and allopathic
(MD) residency programs will be overseen by a single unified
accrediting body; and

WHEREAS, Quality medical training for DO and MD students
is critical to their success as fully trained and licensed begin delete physicians; end delete
begin insert physicians, and all medical schools should provide the support
necessary for their students to receive the best possible medical end insert
begin insert training; end insert and

WHEREAS, Many public and private institutions have provided
equal access to the application process for their medical training
programs by all students and physicians, and have trained
exemplary DO and MD students by choosing those candidates
who best suit their programs; and

begin insert

WHEREAS, In many areas of the state there are outstanding
examples of medical training programs that have been integrated
effectively and are providing DO and MD students with exceptional
training opportunities; and

end insert

WHEREAS, Section 2064.2 of the Business and Professions
Code states that no medical school or clinical training program
shall deny access to elective clerkships or preceptorships in any
medical school or clinical training program in this state solely on
the basis that a student is enrolled in an DO medical school; and

WHEREAS, Section 2453 of the Business and Professions Code
states that it is the policy of the state that holders of MD degrees
and DO degrees shall be accorded equal professional status and
privileges as licensed physicians and surgeons; now, therefore, be
it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature urges both private and
public medical training institutions in the state to provide equal
access to DO and MD students to apply to training programs while
still maintaining the integrity and competitiveness of their
application process and the need to first serve enrolled students;
and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges DO medical schools, MD
medical schools, and begin delete their end delete training institutions to build on current
successes of working toward greater collaboration and coordination
of education and training for California’s future physicians begin insert and
for these medical schools to develop a plan to adequately support
medical training for their students and create positive partnerships
with medical training programs that are open to both DO and MD
students and graduates end insert ; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature urges efforts by training
institutions and begin delete MD and DO end delete begin insert DO and MD end insert medical schools to work
toward greater acceptance and integration of DO and MD students
in their medical training programs; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.