AOA vs. ABIM: Past biases, present growth involving osteopathic medicine

In a lawsuit filed against the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Osteopathic Association outlines some historic biases against that profession. While it’s important to recognize that history, even more relevant is the current growth and acceptance of osteopathic medicine in U.S. health care. AOA President Robert G.G. Piccinini, DO, D.FACN, offers this perspective.

Medical Economics: The complaint did touch on some of the historic attempts to limit medical practice of osteopathic physicians. Can you talk about what those are briefly and then frankly had a question of whether you think there may be some continuing bias against osteopathic physicians in some medical or health care settings?

Robert G.G. Piccinini, DO, D.FACN: History shows that what we don't know, we often fear or have problems with, and I think that might be some of the that history in the past. I think what's more important is focusing on what we can do today with this current policy, how it's unlawful and unfair to our current osteopathic physicians. As to biases, you know, we're currently 28% of all graduates are osteopathic, 28% of all medical graduates. We’re 38% of the military's medical corps. We're at the highest level, the last three presidential administrations have been osteopathic physicians. The head physician of NASA is an osteopathic physician. So I think we're beating down barriers in all aspects of life, but I don't disagree that there may be small pockets of still, people just are not aware of what the osteopathic physician offers to society, and I think in time we're going to be knocking those barriers down also. But I think we've made huge strides so what may have happened in the past is in the past. I think we need to focus on the future and this unlawful policy that exists. And I think by changing this unlawful policy, and that's our hope, is that the courts see that this policy is unfair and unlawful, or ABIM decides to change this policy, so that osteopathic medicine can continue to beat down those walls of just not knowing who we are and maybe the biases that individual, small pockets have.