As a Marine, Naval Officer and medical student, I have seen the excellence of osteopathic care first-hand, especially for those serving overseas. However, I have also seen and experienced the limitations and stigma that osteopathic medical students face. We feel pressured to take the USMLE to match into residency positions. Many require it, despite the more than half a dozen American Medical Association resolutions stating that the COMLEX-USA is equivalent to the USMLE in proving competency. This added exam distracts from our medical school studies and places an unnecessary financial and mental burden on me and my classmates. 

In my experience, my colleagues have spent hundreds of dollars to register for the USMLE before even registering for the COMLEX, which is required for us to become doctors. In addition, the pressure to prioritize the USMLE over the COMLEX can be overwhelming, especially since the format and style of questioning differ vastly between the two exams. This prioritization puts osteopathic students at a disadvantage regarding their required board exam, leading to mental stress and the pressure to not focus on their actual required curriculum. That is why I support the Fair Access in Residency (FAIR) Act, which aims to give DO and MD students fair consideration for all residency spots that receive government funding. 

Osteopathic medicine’s positive impact on communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas, is another reason I support the FAIR Act. According to 2022 National Resident Matching Program match data, osteopathic students are 50 percent more likely to pursue specialties in primary care and are more likely to work in rural and underserved areas. Supporting osteopathic students and eliminating residency bias is vital to increasing access to healthcare for these communities. My school, the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in New Mexico, is working to create a more diverse workforce of physicians with a mission to increase care in the borderland’s region and to strengthen partnerships with the NM Indian Affairs Department and Indian Health Services to advance tribal health. At Burrell, student doctors go on to serve in clerkships that offer care to recent asylum seekers and tribal populations such as the Pueblo, Apache and Navajo Nations.

The freedom of opportunity for parity in residency begins with the FAIR Act. This legislation will lay the foundation for residency parallelism to a growing osteopathic profession that continues to draw a diverse workforce. The FAIR Act fights for the rights of osteopathic medical students, ensuring they have equal opportunities in the competitive world of graduate medical education. Hardworking DO students often go on to serve in underserved communities, making a real difference in the lives of those around them. But the pressure to take the USMLE can be overwhelming and costly, taking away from our studies and putting us at a disadvantage. The FAIR Act stands up for osteopathic medical students, allowing us to fully dedicate ourselves to becoming DOs.