School picked for pilot program
College of Osteopathic Medicine to be test site for assessment
FORT SMITH — The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education will help develop an assessment to train osteopathic medical students nationwide.
The institution’s Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine was selected as one of eight testing sites across America for the Core Competency Capstone for Doctors of Osteopathy, according to a Jan. 12 news release. The program was developed by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.
Shannon Jimenez, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, said Tuesday the assessment is meant to make sure students’ osteopathic clinical skills — including their ability to interact with, diagnose and treat patients while face-to-face — are at an adequate level of competency. She said the college’s involvement in the pilot program means it will get to help shape the structure of the exam, which is planned to be offered nationwide.
Jimenez said she thinks the new assessment will help show the wider population that osteopathic medical colleges value interactions with patients.
“When you test a student on something, it means you think that it’s important, and so I guess we’re showing that we believe that’s important and that our students are going to be good at it,” Jimenez said.
The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners is the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s licensing agency, according to Jimenez. Students at the college have to take three exams from the board: two after their second and third years of education to get their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and another in their first year of residency. The board began allowing the college to give examinations to ensure students are meeting minimum criteria in clinical skills during the covid-19 pandemic.
Jeanne Sandella, vice president for professional development initiatives and communications for the board, said many studies argue patients are more likely to be compliant with what their physician asks them
to do if they both have a good relationship with the physician and understand what the physician is telling them. A patient won’t have as good of outcome if their physician doesn’t have good communication skills with him, or if the patient doesn’t trust her physician or feels the doctor isn’t empathetic to her situation.
Sandella said the board previously used a different assessment to evaluate students’ clinical skills as part of a wider national physician licensure series. The board discontinued this evaluation following the covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Deans of osteopathic medical colleges currently have to attest that their graduates have the necessary clinical skills, a system that’s set to remain through the graduating class of 2027.
Sandella said the board plans for the new assessment — once ready — to be offered at any institution that wants it, in contrast to the previous evaluation. It will review the data from the program in June 2025 and make a decision about students graduating in 2028 and beyond.
The board did pilot programs at four osteopathic schools at six locations as part of a first phase in 2023, according to Sandella. The Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine was one of eight institutions who applied to be part of the board’s second phase this year.
Jimenez said the college will start testing for its pilot program in April. The process will last about six weeks and involve about 150 third-year medical students.
The national board will give the school some standard cases, and then the school will ask students to work through them and do some surveys and answer questions. Then the board will examine the data, she said.
The College of Osteopathic Medicine will receive a $40,000 grant from the national board to support the program’s development, the news release states.
Jimenez said the college will primarily use the grant to hire someone to help coordinate the testing.
Collaborating with the board will also open doors for the college in terms of partnerships with other medical institutions and organizations, according to the news release. It states participation in the C3DO testing process will empower the college to continuously enhance its curriculum while providing insights into the “evolving landscape” of osteopathic medical education as well, among other benefits.
Jimenez said in the news release being a testing site for the C3DO will also elevate the college’s national standing in the osteopathic medical community.
“This recognition is expected to attract high-caliber students and faculty, further contributing to the institution’s growth and success,” Jimenez said.
Thomas Saccente can be reached by email at tsaccente@ rivervalleydemocratgazette.com.