AOBFP Family Medicine study guide
AOBFP Family Medicine · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
AOA Osteopathic Board Certification in Family Medicine is a board certification offered by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP), an AOA specialty certifying board. It is intended for osteopathic family physicians who want to demonstrate, and then maintain, specialty-level competence through a structured certification process. The AOBFP lists Family Medicine/OMT as a distinct certification pathway, alongside Geriatric Medicine and several conjoint certificates, and it separates the process into initial certification and Osteopathic Continuous Certification (OCC). Initial certification involves required exams and eligibility criteria; OCC is the ongoing maintenance framework, organized around active licensure, lifelong learning, cognitive assessment, and practice performance assessment, with longitudinal assessment as the cognitive-assessment route. Topics on this exam: Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT). The AOBFP Family Medicine study guide has 2 sections and about 621 words.
01Family Medicine: Core Clinical Reasoning for the AOBFP Exam
The Family Medicine domain tests whether you can move from a patient presentation to a safe, evidence-aligned next step. Prioritize screening schedules , chronic disease targets , acute red flags , and appropriate use of antibiotics and imaging . Know the USPSTF-style logic behind screening (who, when, how often) and the difference between a screening test and a diagnostic test. Preventive care: immunization timing and contraindications; colorectal, cervical, breast, and lung cancer screening intervals; diabetes and lipid screening in adults; prenatal and well-child milestones.
330 words, about 2 min02Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment: Principles and Practical Application
The OMT domain tests structural diagnosis and treatment selection . Master the four somatic dysfunction criteria - TART : tissue texture change, asymmetry, restricted motion, and tenderness - and the five models (biomechanical, respiratory-circulatory, neurologic, metabolic, behavioral). Questions commonly ask you to name the dysfunction, choose a technique, or identify a contraindication. Techniques: soft tissue, myofascial release, muscle energy, counterstrain, high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA), Still, facilitated positional release, and lymphatic pumps.
291 words, about 1 min