To the Editor: I can see from the letter by George Mychaskiw II, DO,¹ that he is passionate about osteopathic medicine. I, too, am passionate about our great profession. 

I am also an advocate for responsible growth of the osteopathic medical profession. To me, this means that we need to produce an adequate supply of osteopathic physicians, establish colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) that serve their communities, create quality osteopathic graduate medical education (GME) programs around the country, and provide appropriate osteopathic continuing medical education (CME) opportunities. I am particularly proud that the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) is supporting many movements to bring medical care to rural, inner-city, and other underserved communities.² In fact, our new COMs are opening in several such locations.^3,4 In addition, the AOA is working hard to create geographically diverse GME programs and improve our CME offerings. 

Responding specifically to Dr Mychaskiw's letter,¹ I caution against a priori condemnation of an institution just because of its tax status. There are many socially minded for-profit companies that contribute time, resources, and profits to their communities.⁵ Conversely, the US Congress is now chastising many nonprofit hospitals for not engaging in charitable missions.⁶ I believe it is the leadership of an organization—for-profit or nonprofit—that determines whether an institution has a larger social mission. 

That being said, I have been in contact with Ronnie B. Martin, DO, the dean of the for-profit Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (RVUCOM) in Parker, Colo. He has assured me that for-profit institutions like RVUCOM can further the cause of osteopathic medicine in the United States. Dr Martin and other RVUCOM leaders are confident that the new school will be a positive force in its geographic region—as well as in the larger osteopathic medical community. 

Rest assured that I have no support for Caribbean and other offshore schools that do not have the accreditation status or the missions that COMs in the United States now have. And I will strongly oppose any Caribbean school setting up a “DO diploma mill.” 

As the current AOA president, I will certainly advocate only for the best for the osteopathic medical profession. I encourage AOA members to inform me of anything they believe indicates that RVUCOM—or any other COM—is not meeting its responsibility to osteopathic medicine's mission.