Postdoctoral Study

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Trainee Policies

Intern & Resident Policies

• Applications for internship or residency may be obtained from the Department of Medical Education at each institution or by contacting the OPTIK Central Office.
• Acceptance to OPTIK programs requires the applicant to complete the undergraduate curriculum at an AOA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine. Acceptance to an OPTIK residency program also requires the applicant to complete an AOA-approved internship.
• Official transcripts from the college of osteopathic medicine and internship program director will be obtained by the program to which the applicant is applying.
• Interns are chosen on academic achievements during medical school and their conduct throughout the interview process. In addition to these criteria, residents are chosen based on their recorded performance during the internship year.
• All OPTIK members are equal opportunity employers. Selection of interns and residents is not based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status, or physical disability.
• All applicants must show dedication to the practice of osteopathic medicine and to the osteopathic profession through daily conduct and membership in state and national professional organizations, including the AOA.
• OPTIK institutions will provide each intern/resident with a written agreement or contract outlining the terms and conditions of their appointment in the educational program.
• Each institution will provide its trainees with an orientation to the program and a trainee manual outlining program policies such as: intern's or resident's rights and responsibilities, financial support and benefits to be provided, duration of appointment, work hours and call requirements, procedures for discipline and redress of grievances, terms of evaluation, rotation goals and objectives, and policies regarding professional activities outside of the educational program.
• Interns are not allowed to moonlight under any circumstance.
• Each OPTIK institution may have intern and/or resident representation on the OPTIK Education Committee and on the OPTIK Intern & Resident Committee.
• Following successful completion of all requirements for postdoctoral training at an OPTIK member program, and with the recommendation of the program director, OPTIK will confer a certificate of program completion to each trainee.
• Transfer from an AOA-approved internship or AOA/ACGME-approved residency to an OPTIK member institution is acceptable under the following conditions:

1. The directors of medical education from each program must document, in letter format, that they have no objection to the release of the trainee from the beginning program, nor do they object to the trainee's acceptance at the new program.
2. Credit for passed rotations is clearly documented and falls within the guidelines of the AOA Council on Postdoctoral Training and respective specialty college, when applicable.
3. The AOA Council on Postdoctoral Training and the specialty college approves the transfer.
4. The trainee displays dedication to the practice of osteopathic medicine and to the profession.

To communicate with the OPTIK OGME Resident Representative, please contact Wade Sewell, D.O., Chief Resident and OGME Committee Member at wsewell@atsu.edu or call (660) 785-1400.

Notice of Nondiscrimination:  The Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institute of Kirksville and the A. T. Still University of Health Sciences does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, sexual preference, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities.  Any person having inquiries concerning the ATSU's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, or Section 503, is directed to contact the Director of Human Resources, 800 West Jefferson Street, Kirksville, MO  63501 (telephone: 660.626.2790).  The Director of Human Resources has been designated by ATSU to coordinate the institution's efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and Section 503.  any person may also contact the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, regarding the institution's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, or Section 503.