Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

Region: Alabama Country: USA

ABOUT ACOM
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine is a comprehensive, four-year osteopathic medical college located in Dothan, Alabama. ACOM, the academic division of the Houston County Health Care Authority is affiliated with Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan, a 420-bed regional medical center.

Southeast Alabama Medical Center serves more than 600,000 residents in a 75-mile radius and has more than 2500 employees and an active medical staff of 300.

The first osteopathic college to open in Alabama
The first osteopathic college in the nation to share a campus with a regional medical center
One of 34 osteopathic colleges in the nation
Groundbreaking January 2012
Construction 2012
A class of 150 students to begin study August 2013
Currently in the process of receiving accreditation by the Commission on Osteopathic
College Accreditation (COCA) of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
Inaugural class to graduate in 2017

WHY ACOM?

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine was proposed by the Houston County Health Care Authority to address the critical shortage of primary care physicians in Alabama.
Primary care physicians are the first line of defense for good health and
essential for getting and staying well.
Currently there is a shortage of more than 400 primary care physicians in the state of Alabama,
putting the health of many Alabamians at risk.
Of the current 250 openings for students to attend medical school in Alabama, only a small percentage of those graduates go on to practice primary care.
However, ACOM will make it possible for an additional 150 students to attend medical school each year in Alabama! And more than 60% of Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine practice primary care, often times remaining in the state where they attended medical school.

Philosophy of Osteopathic Medicine
Osteopathic medicine stresses a comprehensive approach to health. In order to maintain good health and prevent disease, emphasis is placed on the interrelationship between the musculoskeletal system and other body systems.
Fundamental Principles:

The body is a unit; the person is a unity of body, mind and spirit.
The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance.
Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
Rational treatment is based on the above three principles

ACCREDITATION
At its April 21-22, 2012 meeting, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) reviewed the initial awarding of Provisional Accreditation to the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. The action of the COCA was as follows:

From April 22, 2012 through June 30, 2012, the accreditation status of the ACOM shall be "Pre-accreditation with permission to recruit, but not to admit students or offer instruction."

From July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2017, the accreditation status of the ACOM shall be Provisional Accreditation, subject to reduction in status or advancement to Accreditation in 2017 as the COCA may determine. Beginning on July 1, 2012 the ACOM may admit students and proceed to offer instruction beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year with an approved class size of 150.

FOUNDATION
The Southeast Alabama Medical Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is dedicated to developing a strong base of philanthropic support to help Southeast Alabama Medical Center and its affiliates provide quality health care and promote wellness. The Foundation seeks and receives charitable dollars to help SAMC enhance services, build new facilities, provide better training for health care professionals, fund cutting-edge equipment and technology, and bring unique and specialized services to the regional community faster than before.