OSTEOPATHIC BOARD CERTIFICATION

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Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Certification Process

Oral Exam

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation oral (Part II) exam, candidates must meet the criteria below:

  • Have successfully passed the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Primary Written Exam.
  • Have graduated from an AOA-approved or ACGME accredited residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation by the time the examination is administered (residency status must be verified).
  • Hold an active license to practice medicine in one (1) of the fifty (50) states or Canada.
  • Adhere to the AOA Code of Ethics.

Requirements

At the time of application, you must submit the following to the AOBPMR:

  • Completed, signed online application
  • All required fees and supporting documents
  • Current CV/resume

AOBPMR Oral Examination Tutorial for Virtual Exam

Exam Fees

An application fee of $750 must be submitted with your completed application. A late fee of $225 will be added if received after the initial application deadline. No application will be accepted after the final application deadline.

Exam Dates and Deadlines

The physical medicine & rehabilitation oral exam is offered once per year in the spring.

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Exam Content

The exam is split into three 45-minute sessions where candidates will meet with examiners. Each examiner will ask three questions.

The nine total questions will be randomly selected from the 13 topics listed below:

  • Pediatrics
  • Spinal Cord Injury
  • Musculoskeletal Disorders
  • Sports Medicine
  • Brain Injuries including stroke
  • Electrodiagnosis
  • OMM-OPP
  • Industrial-Occupational
  • Prosthetics/Orthotics
  • Joint Connective Tissue
  • Neuromuscular Disorders
  • Cancer
  • Physiatric Therapeutics

Exam Scoring

Scoring Criteria

AOA reports candidates’ certification results using standardized scaled scores. Scaled scores are more valid and reliable compared to raw scores and make scores comparable across different forms of the exam. The AOA reports scores on a 200 to 800-point scale with a scaled score of 500 or higher required to pass.

  • A scaled score of 500 represents the minimum level of knowledge and skill necessary to pass the exam as established by AOA Certifying Boards.
  • The highest possible scaled score is 800.
  • The lowest possible scaled score is 200.
  • Overall scores are based on the total number of items answered correctly, regardless of content area.

Exam Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be submitted to aobpmr@osteopathic.org. Refunds are issued based on the date the written cancellation is received.

Cancellation Policy
TIME BEFORE EXAM PERCENT REFUNDABLE
Up to 31 days before the start of the testing window 50%
0-30 days before the start of the testing window No refunds will be issued

Exam Accommodations

  • All candidates must submit request for exam accommodations at the time of application and this must be prior to 45 days from the exam administration date (prior to first application deadline).
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