UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBOME has accelerated research, development and piloting of temporary contingency test delivery options for NBOME assessments — including the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE examination which assesses fundamental clinical skills including physical exam skills and OMT. Since exam suspension in March of 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBOME has accelerated research, development and piloting of temporary contingency test delivery options for NBOME assessments — including the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE examination which assesses fundamental clinical skills including physical exam skills and OMT. Since exam suspension in March of 2020, we have been working hard to implementing procedures for everyone’s safety such as rigorous and frequent cleaning protocols and health screens for both candidates and staff, and are also investigating the potential role for SARS-CoV-2 testing. External public health and infectious disease consultants have been integrally involved in our plans for test resumption, currently targeted for November 1, 2020 at both NBOME National Centers for Clinical Skills Testing (NCCSTs; Chicago and Philadelphia.)

We understand and appreciate the ongoing concerns related to travel to test. Approximately 56% of the DO students the Class of 2021 are enrolled at a college of osteopathic medicine located within an 8 hour drive of one of our current testing locations, and 25% of the anticipated graduating DO Class of 2021 have already passed the exam. While considerable capacity remains in our two NCCSTs to test the remaining graduating seniors, our team is actively exploring options for a temporary satellite testing center located in the western portion of the country, potentially for a testing window in 2021.

Our objective is to provide candidates the opportunity to complete their COMLEX-USA examination and demonstrate their competency for licensure, when they are ready to do so, as promptly and as safely as possible. As COMLEX-USA is a licensing examination, it is imperative that we maintain the integrity of the examination program, and that the administration of the exam remains valid for this purpose, and preserves the reliability, defensibility and fairness of the examination. COMLEX-USA is entrusted in every state for medical licensure for DOs, therefore the integrity of the examination is of paramount concern. We have appreciated the overwhelming support of the colleges of osteopathic medicine and other stakeholders in sharing constructive feedback and ideas for administration solutions, in particular appreciating the concerns and input from DO students and student organizations. We have reached out to residency program associations including the Organization of Program Director Associations (OPDA) and the Assembly of Osteopathic Graduate Medical Educators (AOGME) and received formal statements from both that they understand that many residency program applicants in the Class of 2021 will not have results of COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE (DO applicants) or USMLE Step 2-CS (MD applicants) when they apply, and that applicants should not be held accountable for results of exams they have been unable to take due to exam suspensions and the pandemic. We have advocated for other organizations across the house of medicine to acknowledge this reality in 2020-2021.

NBOME has continued to work tirelessly to assist exam candidates, colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs), and other stakeholders since the pandemic emerged in March, when we implemented COMAT-Self-Proctored test form options for COMs, and launched COMSAE Phase 2 (self-assessments) on our CATALYST longitudinal assessment platform. In late July the first satellite testing center for administration of COMLEX-USA Level 1, Level 2-CE, and Level 3 opened on the campus of the University of North Texas Health Science Center-Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth, TX and in mid-August a similar center opened at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, East Lansing, MI. These strategies and Prometric test center-delivered exams have put COMLEX-USA testing totals over the 16,000 mark since testing resumed in May.

In conjunction with identifying a potential contingency site for clinical skills testing, we continue to listen and collaborate with organizations and individuals in the medical education and medical regulatory communities to address this disruption and its effects, both professionally and personally, on candidates. We empathize with the unique circumstances of osteopathic medical students and residents, and indeed all of us in healthcare, medical education, and our world. Your support and input remains critical to our ability to meet our mission, relied upon by the state medical and osteopathic medical licensing boards and the patients in the communities we serve.

We will continue to provide updated communications regularly, and are committed to a formal update on the contingency planning for clinical skills testing delivery by October 1.