Most physicians in the United States hold a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD), however, a second type also exists: the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). The differences between the two are slight and mostly focus on how they are trained. Now, however, that difference shrinks even more.

In February 2014, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) announced that they would no longer have separate accreditation standards for graduate medical education programs. MD’s and DO’s previously had to go through separate accreditation systems during their training, but no more.This transition to the ACGME providing accreditation for all GME programs is scheduled to start in July 2015 and finish by June, 2020.

It’s hoped that a single accreditation system will help standardize training and reduce administrative burden.