Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine
Type Private, not-for-profit
Established 2010 (2010)
Budget $12.26 million[1]
Chairman John McDaniel
President Ronald S. Owen
Dean Craig J. Lenz, DO
Students 162
Location Dothan, Alabama, US
31°12′54″N 85°21′42″W / 31.2149°N 85.3616°W / 31.2149; -85.3616Coordinates: 31°12′54″N 85°21′42″W / 31.2149°N 85.3616°W / 31.2149; -85.3616
Campus 200 acres
Nickname ACOM
Affiliations Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Alabama Medical Education Consortium
Website www.acomedu.org

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine is a private, not-for-profit medical school for osteopathic medicine located in the city of Dothan in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the first osteopathic medical school in the state[2] and is believed to be the first osteopathic medical school in the nation established by a regional not-for-profit hospital.[3]

The college currently holds provisional accreditation status with the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA),[4][5] allowing the college to recruit students and offer instruction. Graduates of the college will receive a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (D.O.).[6] The first class began study on 5 August 2013.[7]

History

By the early 1990s, leaders in Alabama had come to recognize the growing need for primary care physicians within the state. Having recognized the propensity for osteopathic medical graduates to pursue careers in primary care, state leaders established the Alabama Medical Education Consortium (AMEC) in 2005 as a means of attracting third and fourth year medical students to rotations within the state.[8]

By 2010, the success of the AMEC pipeline led some to consider the development of Alabama’s own osteopathic medical college. After much deliberation about the location and structure of the school, the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) was established in May 2010 through the partnership of AMEC and the Houston County Healthcare Authority.[9]

Mission

The mission of ACOM is to provide quality, learner-centered osteopathic education, research, and service with emphasis on patient-centered primary care to serve the medically underserved areas of Alabama and the nation.[10]

Academics

Like many other medical schools in the United States, ACOM students will take basic science classes in the first two years of medical school, and move on to clinical clerkships during their third and fourth years.[11] Twenty students per year complete rotations at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery.[12]

The school is currently aiding in the establishment of residency programs in the state of Alabama.[11]

Dual degrees

The medical school offers the following dual degrees:[13]

D.O./MPH with the University of West Florida
D.O./MBA with Troy University on the Dothan campus.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Fiscal Year 2013 Revenues and Expenditures by Osteopathic Medical College" (PDF). AACOM. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "About ACOM". Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. pp. 2–3. Retrieved June 29, 2012.
  3. ↑ Schierhorn, Carolyn (July 3, 2012). "Founded by a medical center, Alabama’s new DO school to leverage hospital ties". The DO. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  4. ↑ "Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine" (PDF). Commission on Osteopathic Colleges Accreditation. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Lewis, Kim (May 4, 2012). "Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine begins recruiting students". The Southeast Sun.
  6. ↑ "Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM)" (PDF). American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  7. ↑ "ACOM Academic Calendar". Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  8. ↑ "History of AMEC". Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine". Southeast Alabama Medical Center. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "ACOM Mission". Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  11. 1 2 "2013-2014 ACOM Academic Catalogue" (PDF). Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.
  12. ↑ Washington, Cynthia (Aug 7, 2014). "The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine Partners with Jackson Hospital in Montgomery". WTVY News.
  13. ↑ "Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine | Dual Degree Programs". ACOM. Retrieved 2014-08-18.

External links

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