Osteopathic Graduate Medical Education

An ACOS/AOA accredited surgical residency program aims to prepare the resident to function as a qualified practitioner of surgery at the advanced level of performance expected of a board-certified specialist. The surgical programs accredited by the ACOS/AOA are General Surgery, General Vascular Surgery, Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Neurological Surgery, Plastic, and Reconstructive Surgical Critical Care and Urological Surgery. The accredited program must encompass both didactic instructions in the primary and clinical sciences of surgical diseases and conditions and education in procedural skills and operative techniques. The educational process must lead to the acquisition of knowledge and technical skills and the ability to integrate the acquired knowledge into the clinical situation and surgical judgment development.

The Resident Evaluation and Standards Committee (RESC) of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS) is charged with the responsibility of maintaining the highest standards of training within the training programs for the Osteopathic surgeon. Accreditation serves as an indication of quality by establishing standards against which all surgical residency training programs can be measured.

Successful completion of the ACOS/AOA accredited program is a prerequisite for eligibility for certification by the AOA through the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS).

The American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (ACOS) is committed to promoting excellence in osteopathic surgical care through education, advocacy, leadership development, and the fostering of professional and personal relationships.

The American College of Osteopathic Surgeons subscribes to and adopts the Code of Ethics of the American Osteopathic Association; requires of its Members in all categories that they be familiar with the AOA Code of Ethics; and requires that they adhere to its provisions as so set forth and as revised, amended and/or interpreted from time to time.

The last decades were filled with numerous firsts and achievements for the college, such as the development of stringent educational standards for surgical training programs and mandatory continuing education requirements; the establishment of the Annual Clinical Assembly (ACA); and the reorganization of the Board of Governors to better represent the membership and meet its professional needs. Eventually, The American College of Osteopathic Surgeons disciplines were organized according to the following categories: general surgery, neurological surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, urological, and cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.

Time and again, the College has prevailed through its determination, persistence, and belief in its mission.