ACR 97, as amended, Bonilla. Medical training: osteopathic students.
This measure, among other things, would 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.
P2 1WHEREAS, California has a significant shortage and inequitable
2distribution of physicians throughout the state due to the aging
3population, current population growth, and the increasing number
4of insured; and
5WHEREAS, According to a study by the Robert Graham Center
6in 2013, it was estimated that the state would need 8,243 more
7primary care physicians by 2030, a 32-percent increase of its
8current workforce; and
9WHEREAS, The state’s ability to meet the need for primary
10care osteopathic physicians (DOs) and allopathic physicians (MDs)
11is directly affected by the number of medical residency slots
12available in physician training programs across the state, and the
13current number of graduate medical education slots must be
14increased substantially; and
15WHEREAS, DOs are one of the fastest growing segments of
16health care professionals in the United States. By 2016, more than
17100,000 DOs are expected to be in active medical practice; and
18WHEREAS, Approximately 60 percent of practicing DOs
19specialize in primary care fields such as family medicine, internal
20medicine, and pediatrics, and many DOs fill a critical need by
21practicing in rural and other medically underserved areas; and
22WHEREAS, Beginning in 2020, osteopathic (DO) and allopathic
23(MD) residency programs will be overseen by a single unified
24accrediting body; and
25WHEREAS, Quality medical training for DO and MD students
26is critical to their success as fully trained and licensed physicians,
27and all medical schools should provide the support necessary for
28their students to receive the best possible medical training; and
29WHEREAS, Many public and private institutions have provided
30equal access to the application process for their medical training
31programs by all students and physicians, and have trained
P3 1exemplary DO and MD students by choosing those candidates
2who best suit their programs; and
3WHEREAS, In many areas of the state there are outstanding
4examples of medical training programs that have been integrated
5effectively and are providing DO and MD students with exceptional
6training opportunities; and
7WHEREAS, Section 2064.2 of the Business and Professions
8Code states that no medical school or clinical training program
9shall deny access to elective clerkships or preceptorships in any
10medical school or clinical training program in this state solely on
11the basis that a student is enrolled in an DO medical school; and
12WHEREAS, Section 2453 of the Business and Professions Code
13states that it is the policy of the state that holders of MD degrees
14and DO degrees shall be accorded equal professional status and
15privileges as licensed physicians and surgeons; now, therefore, be
16it
17Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
18thereof concurring, That the Legislature urges both private and
19public medical training institutions in the state to provide equal
20access to DO and MD students to apply to training programs while
21still maintaining the integrity and competitiveness of their
22application process and the need to first serve enrolled students;
23and be it further
24Resolved, That the Legislature urges DO medical schools, MD
25medical schools, and training institutions to build on current
26successes of working toward greater collaboration and coordination
27of education and training for California’s future physicians and
28for these medical schools to develop a plan to adequately support
29medical training for their students and create positive partnerships
30with medical training programs that are open to both DO and MD
31students and graduates; and be it further
32Resolved, That the Legislature urges efforts by training
33institutions and DO and MD medical schools to work toward
34greater acceptance and integration of DO and MD students in their
35medical training programs; and be it further
36Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
37of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
O
96