AOBOS Orthopedics

The board describes a certification process that includes a written examination and a clinical examination, with eligibility criteria published in its Information for Candidates section. Both must be satisfied before initial certification is granted. Because requirements and sequencing can change between cycles, confirm your specific pathway and eligibility directly with the board before you apply.

Those specifications are not published on the board pages reviewed here, so no item count or time limit can be stated reliably. Treat any number you hear from peers as unverified. Check the board's Exam Registration and Remote Exam Preparation pages, or contact the board, for the current blueprint, length, and testing platform details.

The board's posted calendar lists Aug. 3, 2026 as the AOBOS Written Exam Application date for the 2027 written exam cycle. That date reflects the cycle announced on the site at the time of retrieval. Always verify the live calendar, since application windows open and close and late materials are typically not accepted.

Yes. The posted calendar lists a June–Aug. 2026 clinical exam administration window for Summer 2026, and an April 1–Aug. 2026 application window for the Winter 2027 clinical exam. These are the announced windows only. Confirm your assigned date, location or remote format, and any case-list requirements with the board.

The board offers subspecialty certification in Orthopedic Sports Medicine (initial) and Hand Surgery (initial and OCC). The posted calendar shows a March 25–Aug. 25, 2026 application window and a Sept. 25, 2026 administration date. Subspecialty candidates should confirm whether they must hold primary certification first before applying.

Maintenance runs through Osteopathic Continuous Certification, which the board lists as four components: active licensure, lifelong learning (CME), longitudinal assessment/OCC exam, and quality improvement. Activities are tracked in the physician portal. The 2026 longitudinal assessment period was posted as May 1–July 31, 2026 for Orthopedic Surgery and Orthopedic Sports Medicine.

The retake policy, waiting periods, and any attempt limits are not stated in the board material reviewed here, so they cannot be quoted. Do not assume a fixed number of attempts. Request the current policy in writing from the board before you sit, so you can plan timing and study cycles around it.

Neither a passing standard nor a fee schedule appears in the pages reviewed here. Both are set by the board and are subject to change by cycle. Obtain the current figures from the board's application materials or portal before budgeting, and keep the written confirmation with your application records.

Build a calendar that rotates through trauma, adult reconstruction, sports medicine, spine, hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, pediatrics and oncology, and general orthopedics with osteopathic principles, revisiting each domain at spaced intervals rather than blocking one topic for weeks. Finish with mixed sets and structured case practice simulating the clinical examination format.

Candidates often over-invest in their own practice niche and under-prepare the breadth domains they rarely treat, neglect osteopathic principles and OMT content, and rehearse recognition rather than reasoning aloud. Others misjudge application windows and lose a cycle. Track deadlines on the board calendar and practice articulating differentials and management plans under time pressure.