The Surgery Residency program, led by Dr. Arthur Sesso, is the first of PCOM’s 14 residency programs to receive ACGME pre-accreditation status.
PCOM’s General Surgery Residency program, led by Arthur Sesso, DO, professor and chair, surgery, recently received pre-accreditation status from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). As part of the move toward a single graduate medical education (GME) accreditation system, GME programs at all osteopathic medical schools must achieve initial ACGME accreditation by June 30, 2020, after which the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) will cease to provide accreditation.
The Surgery Residency program is the first of PCOM’s 14 residency programs to receive that status, and all of the College’s residency programs are expected to apply for or receive pre-accreditation status within the next few months, said Kenneth J. Veit, DO ’76, MBA, provost, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean.
“Dr. Sesso is the trailblazer in this brave new world of common accreditation,” said Dr. Veit. “He has the knowledge and understanding to meet the requirements for ACGME accreditation. In addition, this pre-accreditation status is an excellent opportunity for our students, who will have even more doors open to them professionally after completing a GME program that is both AOA- and ACGME-accredited.”
Once pre-accreditation status is achieved, each program will have until 2020 to modify their training to meet the ACGME’s requirements for full accreditation.
The General Surgery Residency offers a strong academic and hands-on program with the assets of a large medical school and provides a unique learning experience for its residents, who are able to perform at least 200 major surgeries each year and have the opportunity to train at world-class locations. Residents are also provided access to fellowships in areas such as plastics, cardiothoracic and trauma surgeries, and about 80 percent of PCOM’s residents will complete fellowship training.
Founded in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy and school psychology, and graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, non profit leadership and population health management, organizational development and leadership, physician assistant studies, school psychology, and public health management and administration. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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