House Committee Approves AACOM-Requested Language Advancing Osteopathic Research and Clinical Rotations

Osteopathic Medical Schools – Osteopathic medicine represents a vibrant portion of the medical student education and health systems ecosystem. However, the Committee remains concerned with the historic disparity in NIH funding and representation for Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (COMs), as well as NIH’s failure to respond to requests to create an action plan to address the agency’s chronic underfunding of osteopathic research and underrepresentation of osteopathic scientists on NIH National Advisory Councils and study sections. Additionally, the Committee is concerned that NIH continues to associate osteopathic medicine most strongly with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). The Committee encourages the NIH to expand funding opportunities and representation across NIH Institutes and Centers, outside of NCCIH. Further, the Committee requests NIH include in the fiscal year 2026 congressional justifications information on the representation of COMs in NIH applications and awards.

The Committee also included language spearheaded by AACOM that calls to expand clinical rotations in rural and underserved communities. The report language is aligned with the Community TEAMS Act (H.R. 7258 / S. 3968) and says:

Community Based Clinical Rotations.—An estimated 80 percent of patient care is now provided in a range of community-based settings rather than the academic hospital where clinical training has traditionally occurred. Research shows that providing outpatient training opportunities in underserved areas—either in conjunction with or outside of inpatient training programs—encourages long-term, sustainable physician practice in high-need areas. The Committee recognizes that prioritizing community-based clinical training in rural and underserved areas leads to more physicians staying to practice in these communities. The Committee urges HRSA to work with medical schools to partner with health centers, rural health clinics, or other healthcare facilities located in medically underserved communities to increase medical school clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas.