OPTImizing osteopathic postdoctoral training institutions.

Since 1999, all postdoctoral training programs approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) have been required to be part of an Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institution (OPTI) consortium. The AOA is improving OPTI operations by revising the OPTI Annual Report, by providing provisional status for new OPTIs, and by using the Residency Management Suite software program (New Innovations Inc, Uniontown, Ohio). The revised OPTI Annual Report is being modeled after the OPTI Standards Inspectors Worksheet (ie, Standards Crosswalk). Onsite inspections using the new scoring tool in 2008 highlighted OPTI best practices by demonstrating that OPTIs received commendations for faculty and curriculum development. Inspections have also shown that OPTIs with accreditation awards of 4 or 5 years are more likely than other OPTIs to be composed of 4- or 5-year postdoctoral training programs.