Student Engagement
Working with Students to Meet Our Mission
The NBOME incorporates feedback from osteopathic students for several reasons:
- To improve products and services such as COMLEX-USA, COMSAE, WelCOM, and COMAT
- To learn directly about their thoughts on the current state of osteopathic medical education and licensure exams
- To learn how the NBOME can be a valuable resource as students embark on one of the most fulfilling and challenging journeys of their lives
This feedback is integral to meeting the NBOME’s mission of protecting the public through development of valid, fair, and reliable assessments for osteopathic students, residents, and physicians. The following are a few ways the NBOME engages directly with students.
NBOME Liaison Committee
Launched in 1991, the NBOME Liaison Committee convenes each year at the direction of the NBOME Board of Directors. Members comprise representatives from across the continuum of osteopathic medical education and the house of medicine, which includes osteopathic medical students from the Council of Student Government Presidents and Student Osteopathic Medical Association. During these meetings, members share their experiences, ideas, and concerns as they pertain to NBOME assessments as well as other challenges and opportunities facing the profession. Many improvements to NBOME initiatives, products, and services have stemmed from these meetings.
Student Experience Panel
The Student Experience Panel is aimed at learning directly from students about their experiences and acquiring feedback on various NBOME initiatives.
Each June, nominations are solicited from COM deans and from leadership in the following groups:
- AACOM’s Council of Student Government Presidents
- American College of Osteopathic Internists
- American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP)
- American College of Osteopathic Surgeons – Medical Student Section
- American Osteopathic Association: Bureau of Emerging Leaders (AOA BEL)
- Latino Medical Student Association
- Student American Academy of Osteopathy
- Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons
- Student National Medical Association
- Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA)
Appointed SEP members serve a one-year term, effective for the academic year; at large members may serve additional years on the panel for continuity. Members are selected from nominations to create a diverse and representative panel.
COM Visits
Throughout the year, colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) gain access to NBOME leadership through in-person and virtual site visits. These meetings allow students to share their feedback and concerns and learn about important news and updates directly from the NBOME, preventing misinformation. The NBOME and COM leadership collaborate to schedule these visits.
Special Projects
When the NBOME embarks on large-scale, innovative projects (such as the Special Commission for Osteopathic Medical Licensure Assessment) and, most recently, the Core Competency Capstone for DOs (C3DO), student participation and feedback are integral to the process. For example, student feedback was utilized as the C3DO Task Force is working on C3DO development. In addition, for COMLEX-USA standard-setting activities, students are surveyed to give feedback on pass rates for the COMLEX-USA examinations, which is crucial to our standard-setting process.
Student Group Meetings
Throughout the academic year, members of the NBOME leadership attend local, regional, and national meetings of student groups such as the AOA-BEL, COSGP, SOMA, and the ACOFP student chapter.
Beyond COMLEX
Your partnership with the NBOME doesn’t have to end after Level 3. The NBOME offers many opportunities to shape the future of osteopathically distinctive assessments, and resources for continuous learning.
National Faculty
After passing COMLEX-USA Level 3, osteopathic residents may apply to become a member of the National Faculty, who do the incredibly important work of writing, editing, evaluating, and implementing questions for COMLEX-USA and COMAT exams.
CATALYST
The AOA partners with NBOME on the use of the CATALYST platform to deliver the AOA’s osteopathic continuous certification in 12 specialties.
NBOME Learning Center
The online Learning Center offers numerous resources for practicing physicians to pursue lifelong learning and professional development.
Stories from the Road
Stories from the Road blogs focus on the individual experience of students or residents as they navigate their way through medical school and the COMLEX-USA examination series. Similarly, Candidate Wellness blogs feature tips, advice, and information from students and residents about how to maintain mental and physical wellness while preparing for these high-stakes exams. The journey to licensure is challenging and fulfilling, and these blogs seek to offer understanding and compassion so that candidates know they’re not alone.
