ACOI 2026: The Osteopathic Philosophy in Practice

I have exciting news to share: our Annual Convention is only a few weeks away!  

First, I want to thank everyone who has registered for this year’s program. I believe you are going to enjoy the outstanding learning opportunities, meaningful connections, social experiences, and new ideas that await us in Palm Springs.

As my time as this year’s Program Chair draws to a close, I am deeply grateful to everyone who has helped the ACOI staff and me create what I believe will be a remarkable convention experience. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and continued commitment to ACOI.

I especially want to recognize our incredible ACOI staff. For months, you have worked tirelessly to bring our collective vision to life—carefully managing every detail, crossing every “t,” and dotting every “i.” I truly appreciate all that you do for the members of ACOI.

Thank you to our colleagues who are taking time away from their demanding professional and personal lives to share their knowledge, experience, and wisdom about the past, present, and future of internal medicine. Thank you to our vendors and partners for their generous support. Finally, I want to thank my family for their unwavering encouragement and unyielding love throughout this journey.

This year’s convention, themed Connecting to the DO Within—IM the Osteopathic Way, is especially meaningful. We have created an experience that invites our osteopathic heritage back into our hearts, our minds, and our hands. We have been intentional about providing our members and guests with meaningful opportunities to engage with ideas and experiences that allow the osteopathic component of who we are and how we practice to be seen, heard, understood, and nurtured. We are celebrating our pride in the osteopathic profession, the opportunities it has given us, and the difference it continues to make in the lives of our patients.

At this year’s convention, we are placing special emphasis on the word osteopathic, which distinguishes the American College of Osteopathic Internists. As I have shared previously, there has never been a better time to be an osteopathic physician—and, more specifically, an osteopathic internal medicine physician. This was not always the case. There were times when being a DO, let alone a DO internist, was not an easy path.

Yet, despite the progress our profession has made over the past 85 years, the relevance of the osteopathic part of our College’s name continues to be questioned—by others and sometimes by ourselves. Misunderstandings about osteopathic medicine persist. Some physicians worry that embracing their osteopathic heritage may diminish their identities as subspecialists, while many younger DOs remain concerned about how their degree may affect their training and career opportunities.

As the old saying goes, “If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” Given my experiences within medicine writ large, I believe the future meaning of the osteopathic part of our College’s name is very much on the table.

Our distinct approach to internal medicine is now less burdened by the challenges of the past, but it faces an important question about its future: As the number of osteopathic physicians continues to grow, what will we collectively choose to be? Are we osteopathic internal medicine physicians, or are we internal medicine physicians who simply happened to attend osteopathic medical schools? Will the osteopathic part of our College’s name become merely honorary, or will it continue to represent something meaningful, distinctive, and tangible?

This year’s convention will give each of us an opportunity to reconnect intentionally with the osteopathic part of our College’s name—to “Connect to the DO Within” and experience “IM: the Osteopathic Way.”

For those joining us in Palm Springs, I cannot wait to see how you emerge from this experience. My hope is that you leave feeling educated, connected, inspired, and reinvigorated by our osteopathic heritage and its enduring contribution to healing the world.

Again, thank you. It has truly been an honor and a pleasure to serve as your Program Chair this year. I look forward to seeing you in just a few short weeks. Until then, register for the convention, finalize your travel plans, and prepare for an unforgettable and enjoyable week as we celebrate our profession, expand our knowledge, and reconnect with friends and colleagues.

I cannot wait to welcome each of you to Palm Springs.