U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree co-sponsored a bill this week that would “remove barriers and inequities from federally-funded physician residency programs.”

The bill sponsored by Pingree, D-1st District, and U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tennessee, aims to ensure that doctoral education programs treat doctors of osteopathic medicine – DOs – the same as MDs while they are seeking their degrees. The University of New England, which has campuses in Biddeford and Portland, has a DO program. DOs focus on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient treatment.

About 25 percent of all doctors get DO degrees, but there are barriers to being selected to hospital residency programs as students are finishing their education, according to the news release. Once they graduate and pass their exams, DO degrees are functionally the same as MD degrees.

Dr. Robert Cain, CEO of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, said in a statement that the bill “addresses persistent and prevalent biases against osteopathic medical students, many of whom will go on to care for patients in rural and medically underserved communities.”

“While our partners in Maine have always supported UNE’s osteopathic medical students, the same is not true in other parts of the country,” said Dr. Jane Carreiro, dean of the UNE College of Osteopathic Medicine, in a statement. “Outside of Maine, UNE (college of medicine) students have faced barriers to residency, including being excluded from doing rotations or being interviewed, and being required to take the M.D. licensing exam.”

Pingree said in a statement that “as one of the fastest-growing health professions in the country, Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine provide essential care in our communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas. It’s ridiculous that osteopathic medical students are facing discrimination and extra hurdles to accessing federally funded residency programs.”


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