President's Blog

​Traveling around the country as AOA President, I am often confronted with the worries of DOs and osteopathic medical students. Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC), in particular, is a topic that I hear a lot about lately. With the implementation of OCC coming up in January 2013, I know there are questions out there. I want you to know that the AOA is listening, and we are here to help.

Next week, the AOA is hosting a live webinar entitled “What is Osteopathic Continuous Certification?” During the webinar, Ronald E. Ayres, DO, and Stephen M. Scheinthal, DO, will discuss the new OCC requirements for osteopathic physicians with time-limited certificates. Register now to attend the webinar on May 30, at 8:30 p.m. EST.

The AOA has also launched the second leg of the Are We There Yet? Osteopathic Family Road Trip, which asks members to answer a couple questions about the important changes up ahead and to watch a video on OCC.  The video answers questions about why OCC is being implemented in the first place; what it means in terms of time, resources, and money; and who you should contact to find more information about your specific requirements.

OCC is an important element in advancing the osteopathic medical profession. It incorporates performance assessment and improvement into the maintenance of your AOA board certification and answers the call of regulatory bodies to integrate this crucial component. I hope you take the time to learn more about it by joining the webinar or taking part in the osteopathic family road trip at www.osteopathic.org/arewethereyet.

Marty​