The Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act, H.R. 2314 and S. 2715, was introduced to ensure all Medicare-funded residency programs accept DO applications and the COMLEX-USA. Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Sam Graves (R-MO), Carol Miller (R-WV) and Don Davis (D-NC) and Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Angus King (I-ME) championed the bipartisan, bicameral legislation to address the unfair and unsustainable system that excludes DOs from residencies or requires them to take the USMLE. These practices exacerbate the workforce shortage and severely hinder healthcare access, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Federally-funded GME programs should ensure that DOs are treated fairly in the residency selection process. According to National Resident Matching Program data, 29% of residency program directors never or seldom interview DO candidates. Further, 73% of residency programs require DO students to take the USMLE, a 30% increase from 2022. DOs incur significant costs to take the USMLE ($2,335 in exam fees and 32 hours of exam time) along with the emotional strain associated with preparing for an additional test that is not geared toward the osteopathic profession nor needed for licensure. 

The osteopathic community has spent many years pursuing direct engagement with residency programs that discriminate against DOs, as well as organizations within the House of Medicine, but the percentage of residency programs requiring DOs to take the USMLE continues to grow. The FAIR Act will increase transparency and ensure equitable treatment of DOs in the residency process and that the nation is leveraging the entire physician workforce. 

Tell Congress to cosponsor and pass the FAIR Act today!