Education and Advocacy

The NBOME works tirelessly to identify biases, clarify information, and educate on osteopathic distinctiveness and the COMLEX-USA credential. We join efforts with our fellow osteopathic organizations to increase awareness and acceptance of DO credentials for all students, residents, and physicians. The DO seniors who set the record match rate of 91.6 percent during the 2023 NRMP Match are a testament to the value that osteopathic distinction brings to healthcare.

We conduct our advocacy efforts through engagement, outreach, and connection. By extending our hand to programs, institutions, and organizations, we have forged new partnerships under the common goal of supporting our profession. These strategies have resulted in a high success rate for our advocacy efforts. Read more by clicking our Program Outreach button at right.

Removing Roadblocks to Residency

The NBOME advocates for a holistic review of residency applicants, and encourages program directors and other GME personnel to evaluate applicants based on their unique experiences, attributes, and competencies.

However, if licensure examinations continue to be used as part of that holistic review process, then COMLEX-USA should be what is looked at to evaluate DOs, as it is the only examination aligned with the education and practice of osteopathic medicine. We will continue to advocate on student’s behalf to alleviate the undue barriers placed on them as they travel the Road to DO Licensure.

IF YOU HAVE…

• Felt excluded from a program for being an osteopathic student
• Been required to pay a significantly higher tuition or fee rate than MD students
• Had your COMLEX-USA scores rejected for application
• Been required to submit USMLE scores to apply for a program

We invite you to submit this form so that we may pursue this matter directly with the appropriate program, institution, and/or specialty leadership. Your name and email will only be used for communication between you and the NBOME. Unless you specify otherwise, our outreach on your behalf will be confidential.

“THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thank you all so much for the work you do and for keeping me updated. I so appreciate it. I also appreciate these two programs making those changes, because these things I’m finding on FREIDA really do impact me (and I’m sure many others). As someone with a lot of debt and a limited amount of financial resources, us students have to ensure our money is being spent applying to places we feel like we have a shot at, and the things I see in FREIDA actually DID deter me from applying to these programs, until now.” – OMS-IV