Over the past year, the ACOI Board of Directors has refined the College's strategic plan to clarify the Mission and Vision of the College. The Board is focusing on the needs of ACOI's member physicians to guide it in forging our evolving identity. The members have told us that there are many things that the ACOI does well, including providing first-rate CME opportunities and assuring excellence in the quality of training available to today's internal medicine residents.

Areas where members wish to see greater ACOI activity include providing more information on economics and government actions, better communications and expanded opportunities for member involvement and participation. The Board worked to meet those needs. The following are some of the areas the College has worked on this year to provide meaningful member benefits:

• Member Involvement-In order to provide greater opportunity for member participation, the Board created five new committees in 1999. The Committees address areas of need that have not been fully emphasized in the past: Clinical Practice; Communications; Ethics; Exhibits and Young Internists. In addition, special task forces on Military Physicians Liaison and Resident Recruitment have been established. Since 2001, resident representation was provided on most ACOI Committees.
• Speakers Bureau-The ACOI has tapped into the wealth of expertise of its member physicians by creating a speakers bureau. The College has used these experts while arranging "internal medicine days" at state osteopathic conventions in Florida, Arizona and Illinois.
• Student Internists-As part of the Board's strategy to keep osteopathic students in the profession, the ACOI "Visiting Professor Program" provides speakers for Student Internal Medicine Clubs at Osteopathic Colleges. The lectures combine clinical topics with a focus on the benefits of pursuing a career in internal medicine through an AOA internal medicine residency. In addition, A National Student Osteopathic Internal Medicine Association was created and elected it's first officers.
• Mentoring Program-Believing that the foundation for osteopathic training continues to be in the one-on-one relationship between student and teacher, the ACOI created a Mentoring Program for internal medicine students and residents. Over 200 ACOI practicing physician members answered the call for volunteers to serve as mentors and the process of linking up mentor and "mentee" is now underway. The program is open to all students and internal medicine residents, regardless of whether their training program is AOA- or ACGME-approved.
• Continuing Education-The 63rd ACOI Annual Convention and Scientific Sessions provided up to 34.5 hours of 1A CME to more than 700 internists, residents and others. The ACOI Convention provides the most hours of CME at the lowest cost of any convention in the osteopathic profession. The Convention is a source of cutting edge information for the practicing internist, while providing a great opportunity for subspecialists to remain current in general medical knowledge. The Internal Medicine Board Review Course provides intensive preparation for the internal medicine certifying examinations. It is also an excellent refresher for the practicing internist, and a crucial element in the recertification process.
• Training Standards-The ACOI Council on Education and Evaluation monitored training program compliance with the Basic Standards for Residency Training in Internal Medicine. It also approved revised training standards in cardiology, critical care medicine, gastroenterology, infectious diseases, pulmonary medicine and approved a new training document for interventional cardiology. The Council also reviewed the training completed by more than 500 residents in internal medicine and the subspecialties.
• Recognition-On average, 70 members each year receive the degree of Fellow at the Annual Convention, in addition to a Master Fellow degree, which was created for those whose contributions to the profession exceed what is normally expected. Also honored at the Convention are individual members who are acknowledged for their contributions in research, teaching, and excellence in practice. Fellowship is available to all Active members who are certified, either by AOBIM and the ABIM.
• Communication-The ACOI website is geared toward conveying timely information to all members and the general public, while making it easier than ever to contact members of the Board of Directors and Staff via e-mail links. The website (www.acoi.org) also provides links to other useful websites and includes important documents like the Bylaws, Training Standards and Certification information.
• Advocacy-The ACOI advocates on its members' behalf both with the AOA and at the Federal level. The ACOI has forged strong ties with leaders of the AOA, The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, The American College of Osteopathic Surgeons and others. The College participates in monthly strategy sessions held in Washington by the government relations staff of the major osteopathic organizations. The ACOI participates in developing AOA's annual legislative agenda. In addition, the ACOI works with the AOA and others to place members on important government panels: Members of the ACOI Government Relations Committee visit their senators and representatives as part of national DO Day on the Hill to advocate for issues vital to internists. Each member of the Board of Directors has shown their commitment to participating in the political process by personally contributing at least $500 to join the Chairman's Club of OPAC, the Osteopathic Political Action Committee.
• Osteopathic Unity-The ACOI fully supports the Campaign for Osteopathic Unity, which is aimed at making osteopathic medicine better known to the general public. The College has provided contributions to the AOA in excess of $15,000 in support of the Campaign. Each member of the Board of Directors has personally contributed to the Campaign and urges all ACOI members to do the same.
• AOBIM Certification-The ACOI has worked with the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine to assure that it is the most highly regarded certifying board in the profession. The AOBIM exam has met the highest standards of reliability and validity and, as a result, AOBIM certification is recognized universally by Federal and State agencies, hospitals and managed care entities.