National Study Ranks Ohio University #1 Osteopathic Medical School for the Percentage of Graduates in Family Practice Residencies

Contact: Kevin Sanders, (740) 593-0896

ATHENS, Ohio (April 19, 2001) -- A study of America's medical schools by the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Foundation has ranked the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-COM) as the nation's top osteopathic college, and number two of all medical schools, for the percentage of its graduates in family practice residencies. OU-COM was also ranked number one for the percentage of graduates going into traditional rotating internships.

OU-COM was ranked on the basis of having 42.2 percent of its 1999 graduating class going into family practice residencies and 78.9 percent in traditional rotating internships, according to AMSA's Sixth Annual Primary-Care Scorecard. The AMSA Foundation's Generalist Physicians in Training (GPIT) initiative reviewed the most recent data on graduates from 127 allopathic (M.D.) and 15 osteopathic (D.O.) medical schools.

Looking at the broader category of primary care -- which includes family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics and general obstetrics/gynecology -- OU-COM was ranked second overall and among osteopathic colleges with 72.2 percent of its graduates pursuing residencies in these disciplines.

"The college's consistent impressive ranking among medical colleges, osteopathic as well as allopathic, is a testimony to the commitment of OU-COM to leadership and a fitting recognition as we celebrate our 25th anniversary," said Daniel Marazon, D.O., interim dean. "My personal thanks to faculty mentors on the Athens campus as well as all the campuses across Ohio in our Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education, who continually emphasize this college's primary care mission."

Overall, osteopathic medical schools fared very well in the study, taking the top two primary care spots and taking six of the top-ten family practice spots out of all medical colleges in the country

According to the scorecard, OU-COM's primary care residency and family practice figures are the highest among Ohio's seven medical schools. Wright State University came in third in primary care for allopathic colleges with 68.8 percent.

The top medical school in the primary care category was Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine at 75.7 percent. In the family medicine area, the number one school was the University of Minnesota at Duluth with 47.5 percent.

In 1998, OU-COM was ranked number one for producing family doctors out of all medical colleges in the nation on the basis of having 72 percent of its 1996 graduating class in family practice residencies.

AMSA's membership in 1992 developed GPIT in response to a growing concern among students that U.S. medical schools were producing too few generalists. The goal of GPIT is to foster involvement and interest in medical generalism among students, and to increase the number of allopathic and osteopathic medical school graduates entering the fields of family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics and general obstetrics/gynecology. GPIT is supported by a contract from the Bureau of Health Professions within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

AMSA is an independent organization of nearly 30,000 physicians-in-training members from 125 allopathic and 18 osteopathic medical schools across the country. Founded in 1950, AMSA is headquartered in Reston, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C. AMSA is committed to improving health care and health-care delivery to all people; promoting active improvement in medical education; involving its members in the social, moral and ethical obligations of the profession of medicine; assisting in understanding and improving world health problems; contributing to the welfare of medical students, interns, residents and post M.D./D.O. trainees; and advancing the profession of medicine.