TCOM set as pilot site for NBOME’s Core Competency Capstone
The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners has selected The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine as a pilot site for Phase 2 of their Core Competency Capstone for Osteopathic Medicine project. The project, known as C3DO, is studying the feasibility of on-campus standardized assessment of fundamental osteopathic clinical skills of osteopathic medical students.
“TCOM and HSC are excited to partner with the NBOME on the Core Competency Capstone project,” said Dr. Ryan Seals, TCOM’s senior associate dean for academic affairs. “It is important to develop assessments that help ensure that all DO graduates have the necessary physical and humanistic skills to be outstanding osteopathic physicians.”
The Regional Simulation Center at HSC will be a key partner to implement the assessments of Phase 2. Their standardized patient program trains individuals to reliably and consistently portray health care problems and then evaluate students who conduct the examinations.
The patient accurately and consistently recreates the history, personality, physical findings, and emotional responses of an actual patient and/or a patient’s significant other. They may critique student interviewing, physical examination, and interpersonal skills and provide feedback to the students.
TCOM is one of eight colleges of osteopathic medicine across the nation chosen to participate in Phase 2 pilots for the C3DO program.
In September of 2022, NBOME announced the creation of a task force to provide oversight for the C3DO project. The first phase of testing began in May of 2023 and the initial results were promising.
Pilots are planned to begin in March 2024 and continue into early 2025. The guidance and feedback provided by the schools will help the NBOME develop clinical skills assessment activities that could assist with aligning a national standard for osteopathic clinical skills in the future.
The NBOME Board of Directors will be reviewing pilot results and making a recommendation for the future of the C3DO project in June 2025. Currently, COM deans provide attestation to verify that each graduate has demonstrated fundamental osteopathic clinical skills competency to satisfy the clinical skills requirement for COMLEX-USA and Level 3 eligibility. This attestation is in place through the Class of 2027.
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