Overview

TCOM firmly endorses the completion of at least three years of postgraduate training and supports the completion of a one-year rotating internship either as a part of a residency program (such as in general and family practice) or as precursory training to be followed by a residency.

All internship and residency programs sponsored by TCOM are affiliated with the Texas Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institutions (OPTI). This educational consortium consists of TCOM, the Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth Medical Center, Bay Area Corpus Christi Medical Center, Dallas Southwest Medical Center and Doctor's Hospital in Groves, Texas. The Texas OPTI strives to provide quality osteopathic graduate medical education opportunities that emphasize primary care, especially family medicine.

The graduate medical educational programs at the UNT Health Science Center emphasize the institution's strategic goal of primary care. Currently our programs are greater than 70 percent in primary care, the majority of residents serving in family medicine.

The medical school's long-standing relationship with Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas was strengthened in December 1993, when an affiliation agreement was signed between the health science center and OMCT outlining an educational alliance. This affiliation designated OMCT as the base teaching institution for the health science center's medical students, interns and residents. The Director of Medical Education was assigned to a full-time faculty member of the health science center, and program directors were named in the areas of family medicine, general internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery and osteopathic manipulative medicine. The development of these changes has resulted in the strengthening of programs at OMCT demonstrated by the increase in filled residency positions.

In preparation for OPTI implementation, expanded relationships were created with Dallas-Fort Worth Medical Center, located about 30 minutes from the health science center. This institution has long served as a core clerkship site for medical students and as a site for a health science center sponsored family medicine residency. This relationship involved the merging of the general surgery residency under the sponsorship of the health science center. Residents presently rotate through both the DFW Medical Center and OMCT, share educational lectures, board reviews, and journal club under the directorship of Sam Buchanan, D.O., chair of the department of surgery. Each facility has a designated on-site residency director who reports to Dr. Buchanan.

Beginning in July 2000, the UNT Health Science Center will implement new training programs in a collaborative affiliation with Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth.

The goal of the Texas OPTI is to provide programs that are:

• Focused on primary care.
• Congruent with the State of Texas Health Plan.
• Managed care focused.
• Capable of providing rural and underserved exposures.
• Capable of providing exposure to distinctive osteopathic principles and practice.
• Continuously evaluated by outcomes developed by the Board of Trustees.
• Able to encourage research and scholarly activities among members of the OPTI and other Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, capacity permitting.

For more information, contact:
Don N. Peska, D.O.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Texas OPTI Academic Officer