Evaluation of colleges of osteopathic medicine: training for the evaluators.

The American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (AOA COCA) is recognized by the US Secretary of Education as the only accrediting agency for predoctoral osteopathic medical education. To maintain its recognition with the US Secretary of Education, AOA COCA is required to adhere to all federal laws and regulations associated with recognition of accrediting agencies. Included in the regulations are requirements for training the evaluators of institutions and programs. The authors discuss AOA COCA's established procedures for evaluator training and site visit conduct. Also included is a review of class sizes of the accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine.