Board Eligibility
A physician’s eligibility for AOA board certification begins upon completion of their specialty or subspecialty training program and ends on Dec. 31 of the sixth year.
Board eligibility status will be automatically terminated in the following circumstances:
- After completion of the board eligibility timeframe.
- Upon denial of an appeal to extend the board eligibility timeframe for an individual.
- Upon award of certification.
The following eligibility requirements must be met for AOA board certification:
- You must be a graduate of a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine and have completed an AOA or ACGME-accredited training program OR be a graduate of a LCME-accredited medical school and have completed an ACGME-accredited training program.
- You must hold a valid, active license to practice medicine in a U.S. state, commonwealth, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory.
- You must adhere to the AOA Code of Ethics.
- You must follow the process as outlined by the board’s requirements and meet any specialty-specific requirements for board certification during the six-year board eligibility period.
- You must pass all required certification exams.
Post-Board Eligibility Process
A physician who has not obtained final certification at the end of six years of board eligibility must apply for examination to the AOBOS to enter the post-board eligibility certification process within three (3) years of termination of the board eligibility status timeframe.
Candidates must participate in the first available administration of each exam and will have four (4) attempts to pass each step of the examination process. If unsuccessful in a given attempt, candidates must participate in the next available administration. Non-participation will be considered a forfeiture and an unsuccessful attempt.
Candidates who are not successful in becoming certified at the end of this process have no further opportunity to become certified by this Board.
Resolution 56: Eligibility for ABMS-Certified DOs
Resolution 56 defines the certification eligibility for ABMS-certified physicians seeking primary certification from the AOBOS. To be eligible for Resolution 56, ABMS-certified osteopathic physicians must meet the following requirements:
- Be certified by the ABMS and have completed residency training prior to submitting an application. Note that ABMS-certified osteopathic physicians who participated in a clinical pathway (in lieu of completing a residency program) to achieve ABMS certification may be allowed to enter the certification process under the following conditions:
- The pathway must have been completed prior to 1995; and
- The candidate must meet any additional requirements set by the specialty board for certification.
- Additional requirements and fees as designated by the certifying board.
- Complete and submit application and release of information form.
Right to Appeal
If a candidate feels that the actions of the AOBOS with regard to any part of the examination constitute unequal application of the regulations and requirements or standards, unwarranted discrimination, prejudice, unfairness or improper conduct of the examination, they have the right to appeal to this Board.
Appeals must be made on an appeal request form and submitted via email within three days of the exam administration. Appeal request forms will be provided to all candidates prior to the start of the exam. All appeals submitted after the three-day deadline will be denied for all exams except the Clinical Examination. Late appeals to this exam will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
A majority vote of the committee will determine whether AOBOS accepts or denies the appeal.
Candidates will be advised of the Board’s decision email. If the Appeal Committee accepts an appeal, then the candidate’s examination will not be scored or recorded, and the candidate has the right to take a new exam at the next scheduled exam date with no additional fee. If applicable, the candidate’s original case log will be utilized, and the next clinical exam will be conducted by different examiners.
If an appeal is denied by AOBOS, the candidate retains the right to appeal to the AOA Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (BOS) and AOA Board of Trustees.
The AOBOS will not consider appeals based on examination content, sufficiency or accuracy of answers given to examination questions, scoring of the examination, scoring of answers to individual questions and/or the determination of the minimum passing score.
Rescoring of Examinations
Candidates have the right to request a rescore and audit process of their examination scores. Requests for the rescoring and audit must be submitted to the Board in writing via formal letter emailed within two weeks of the Board’s release of the exam results. The fee for rescoring and audit is $200. The Board will commence the rescoring and audit process following receipt of the candidate’s request and payment. This process is limited to rescoring and audit of the candidate’s exam. Candidates are not allowed to review specific items on the examination. The Board will not reevaluate or reset the “cut” score for passing the exam.
Compliance With Federal Regulations
The AOBOS complies with all applicable federal and state regulations, including:
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The AOBOS complies with requirements prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation, as well as regulations for Title II and Title III (and all subsequent regulations) as printed in the federal register.
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): In compliance with the HIPAA Act of 1996 and any subsequent modifications, the AOBOS ensures that individuals’ health information is properly protected, while allowing the flow of health information to provide and promote high quality health care. All medical records submitted for review by candidates for AOBOS certification will be de-identified by the candidate prior to submission, such that the remaining information cannot be used to identify an individual patient.