AACOM Advocacy Day

Advocate for OME!

Please join us for AACOM Advocacy Day 2026 on September 16 and 17! Osteopathic deans, students, faculty, and advocates will come together to advocate for osteopathic medical education (OME) federal policy priorities. The event is virtual and open to all members of the OME community.

Listen to Members of Congress, advocacy consultants and AACOM's Government Relations team present on the congressional landscape, effective advocacy tools and AACOM’s federal policy priorities. Participants will attend live virtual sessions and urge their Members of Congress to elevate OME priorities by participating in coordinated calls to action. More information on this year's policy priorities is forthcoming.

Advocacy Day 2025 Issues

Last year, we asked Congress to:

Promote DO Graduate Medical Education Parity through the FAIR Act

Federally-funded graduate medical education programs frequently exclude or impose burdensome requirements on DOs, exacerbating the workforce shortage by limiting the availability of licensed DO physicians. The  Fair Access In Residency (FAIR) Act (H.R. 2413 / S. 2715) is needed to ensure DOs can participate in all Medicare-funded residency programs and the nation is leveraging the entire physician workforce.

Support the FAIR Act!

Expand Community-Based Clinical Rotations with the Community TEAMs Act

Research shows that medical students receiving education and training in rural and underserved communities are more likely to stay and practice in those areas. The Community TEAMS Act (H.R. 3885 / S. 3989) will increase medical school clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas, strengthening the physician workforce pipeline and leading to greater healthcare access in disadvantaged communities.