The Department of Veterans Affairs has approved all levels of COMLEX-USA for reimbursement under education and training benefits for veterans, such as the GI Bill.
More information about reimbursement for each Level of COMLEX-USA can be found below.
“DOs who serve or have served in the military are a valued part of the osteopathic physician workforce, and we are happy that the Department of Veterans Affairs includes this benefit for those serving our country and caring for those who protect all of us at home and abroad,”
said John R. Gimpel, DO, MEd, president and CEO of the NBOME.
In fact, DOs have a long history within the U.S. military, dating all the way back to the profession’s founding; the father of osteopathic medicine, AT Still, served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Dating back to 1966, when DOs were first officially commissioned to our nation’s military armed forces, an increasing number of U.S. military veterans apply to DO schools following their service.
Today, DOs serve as fully commissioned officers in all branches of the U.S. military, providing primary and specialty care. Organizations like the Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons support DOs in uniform, while programs like the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program help students fund osteopathic medical school in exchange for military service, offering unique training and career paths.
Many DOs have even gone on to serve in high-profile roles in the military, including former U.S. Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. (ret.) Ronald Blanck, DO, and current U.S. Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Mary K. Izaguirre, DO. In addition, retired Army Col. Kevin O’Connor, DO (also an NBOME National Faculty member) and Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, DO, have served or are currently serving as physician to the President in the U.S. White House.