AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Alison J. Whelan, MD, AAMC chief academic officer, issued the following statement in response to a new residency application platform announced for obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN):
“We were surprised and dismayed by today’s announcement that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is launching a new residency application platform for the 2024-25 residency application cycle. While it is too early to fully understand the consequences of this development – intended and unintended – the AAMC remains committed to creating a fair and equitable process for learners, medical schools, and programs. Over the past several years, the AAMC has made significant advancements to the Electronic Residency Application Service® – including support of holistic review and integration with Thalamus – to streamline the residency application process and support the entire transition to residency community.
We are concerned that OB/GYN program data will no longer be part of the numerous and longstanding AAMC data and research efforts, including the Residency Readiness Survey, multi-decade institution-level data and analytics, and future cross-specialty innovations. In addition to cross-organization initiatives such as the Residency Explorer™ tool and programs and innovations to support the transition to residency, the AAMC has collected, analyzed, and shared cross-specialty data since the ERAS program’s inception. And specifically, since the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, we have supported our OB/GYN colleagues with substantial advocacy, research, and data support.
The AAMC stands ready to continue working closely with our learners, medical schools, and ERAS program community to further consider the implications of ACOG’s announcement. We have many questions and few answers at this time, and we will work diligently to fully understand the consequences and keep open communication with all of our constituents. Again, we remain committed to supporting all future researchers and physicians to ensure their wellbeing and the health of the nation.”