Medical licensure for osteopathic physicians in Louisiana: why the State Board of Medical Examiners should accept the NBOME.

The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners does not recognize the examination offered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners as a valid pathway to licensure, either directly or by endorsement. The State Board recognizes the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) as the appropriate examination for direct licensure. For licensure by endorsement, the State Board will license physicians who have passed any of the allopathic national licensing examinations. Osteopathic physicians do not take the USMLE or other allopathic licensing examinations because they test students on allopathic medical education and do not measure osteopathic medical training. Instead, osteopathic medical students take the examination offered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. The National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners' test is accepted by every other state and is an appropriate measure of the abilities of osteopathic physicians.