David Kuo, DO '96, associate dean of graduate medical education at PCOM, has spent more than two decades shaping osteopathic medical education as a physician, educator and graduate medical education leader. In this Q&A, Kuo discusses his appointment as chair of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) Board of Directors, the future of osteopathic medical education and assessment, and the experiences that have guided his leadership journey.
Can you walk us through your educational and professional journey and the path that led you to this leadership role?
Kuo: Yes, I graduated from PCOM in 1996 and joined the faculty in 1999 after completing my family medicine residency here. In the last year of residency, I served as chief resident, which was really my first leadership role in medicine.
Looking back, residency education and training have been a part of my career for as long as I've been an attending physician. I was a member of the PCOM family medicine residency teaching faculty when I started as an attending in 1999, then in 2005, I became associate program director of our family medicine residency, and in 2009, I was appointed program director. I really enjoyed that work because of the great relationships I developed with my residents. You really get to know someone well when you spend three years with them! There were plenty of ups and downs, but I fondly remember how much fun and laughter we shared. A few years later, I moved into PCOM's Graduate Medical Education department to work with Richard Pascucci, DO '75, and Joanne Jones, MBA, overseeing all of the institution's residency and fellowship programs. We worked together to bring PCOM into the single accreditation system under the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
In 2006, John R. Gimpel, DO '88, MEd, president and CEO of the NBOME and one of my former instructors at PCOM, asked if I would be interested in serving on the organization's Case Development Committee. The committee wrote clinical cases for COMLEX Level 2-PE, a hands-on clinical skills exam that required students to interact with standardized patients, obtaining histories, performing physical exams and documenting their assessments and plans. Since PCOM already had a standardized patient program, the work was a natural fit. I remained involved until the exam was suspended in 2020 because of COVID-19, going from case writer to vice chair and eventually chair of the committee.
I joined the NBOME Board of Directors in 2015 and, after serving as vice chair for two years, became chair in December 2025.
What has your journey with the NBOME been like, and what priorities will guide your term as chair?
Kuo: Being involved with the NBOME for so many years has given me a deep appreciation for its mission. At its core, the organization is focused on protecting the public by providing high quality, competency-based licensing exams for osteopathic physicians, through its COMLEX-USA exam series. But we also promote the distinctive principles and practice of osteopathic medicine through our assessments, which are created by our national faculty of osteopathic physicians and other educators who are involved in osteopathic medical education.
I really believe in the mission of supporting osteopathic students and protecting the profession's identity. NBOME has given me an opportunity to advocate for future generations of osteopathic physicians while also representing PCOM on a national level.
I officially assumed the role in December and chaired my first full board meeting this June. The transition has been seamless thanks to my years on the board, including service as vice chair and as a member of the executive committee, as well as the guidance of former chairs Lori A. Kemper, DO, MS, and Richard LaBaere II, DO, MPH. As chair, I'm helping oversee the rollout of the NBOME's 2026-2029 Strategic Plan: LEAD, which focuses on stakeholder engagement, thoughtful use of technology and AI, competency-based medical education, and continued support for osteopathic identity and licensure parity.
What issues are top of mind in osteopathic medical education right now?
Kuo: One of the biggest conversations right now is preserving osteopathic identity and ensuring the distinctive principles of osteopathic medicine continue to be reflected in medical education and assessment.
There's also an ongoing focus on supporting osteopathic students throughout the residency application process and continually improving our assessment programs so they remain aligned with current evidence-based medicine and the skills physicians need in practice today. That includes exploring how technologies like AI can enhance assessment and learning in responsible ways while keeping examinations relevant, rigorous and supportive of student success.
As residency graduation approaches, what stands out to you about this milestone, and what message would you like to share with this year's graduating residents?
Kuo: Residency graduation will be held on June 18, and it's always an exciting milestone. This year, we're celebrating graduates from seven residency and fellowship programs: Geriatric Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and General Surgery.
Each graduating class represents years of hard work, personal growth and dedication to patient care, and it's rewarding to see these physicians reach this important stage in their professional journeys. Graduation is also a reminder of the vital role residency training plays in preparing physicians for independent practice. Throughout their training, residents develop not only their clinical knowledge and technical skills but also the professionalism, resilience and compassion that will guide them throughout their careers.
The advice we give graduating residents remains the same: be yourself, enjoy the journey and always put the patient first. If you do right by your patients, everything else—from your education to your career—will take care of itself.
Established in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a “whole person” approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM, a private, not-for-profit accredited institution of higher education, operates three campuses (PCOM, PCOM Georgia and PCOM South Georgia) and offers doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, educational psychology, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and school psychology. The college also offers graduate degrees in applied behavior analysis, applied positive psychology, biomedical sciences, forensic medicine, medical laboratory science, mental health counseling, physician assistant studies, and school psychology. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 215-871-6100.
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Kristen Hopf
Communications Content Specialist
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: kristenho1@pcom.edu
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