The NBOME is pleased to report that support for DO residency applicants and COMLEX-USA continues to grow among residency program directors. Previously, the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training and the Council of Academic Family Medicine have issued statements in support of DO and MD applicants, and for the parity of the COMLEX-USA credential for DO applicants.
Now, the Association of Anesthesiology Core Program Directors (AACPD) has issued its own statement of support, which reads, in part:
“In the current environment, in order to recruit qualified applicants using a holistic review process, it should be unnecessary for any medical graduate to take redundant licensing examinations. Anesthesiology residency programs should implement processes that fairly consider osteopathic applicants within the context of their educational pathway and the osteopathic (COMLEX-USA) licensure process. Anesthesiology residency programs should not require osteopathic trainees to undergo other licensing examinations in addition to COMLEX-USA.”
Read the AACPD statement in its entirety here.
“The NBOME is so inspired by the AACPD’s inclusiveness and willingness to advocate for all applicants, holistic review and parity for the COMLEX-USA credential, and their guidance for program directors that COMLEX-USA should be the only licensure exam DO candidates need to take,” said Richard J. LaBaere, II, DO, MPH, chair of the board of directors the NBOME. “This will no doubt help encourage the rising number of DO students interested in anesthesiology to apply, ensuring that the field will see its best and brightest among DO applicants, help to diversify the educational milieu, and further assist in contributing to critical workforce needs in regions of need for this important specialty .”
The NBOME continues to engage in advocacy and education efforts supporting holistic review for all applicants with the undergraduate and graduate education communities and to assure inclusion and equitable treatment for DO residency applicants for GME training opportunities with their COMLEX-USA licensing examination credentials. Visit our advocacy and education page for more on our work in these areas, and to see a list of residency programs that currently accept COMLEX-USA scores.