Awards honor osteopathic physicians, medical students and affiliate organizations for contributions to the profession.
Each year, the osteopathic medical profession celebrates the inspiring and influential work being contributed by DOs, medical students and affiliate organizations across every facet of the health care community and beyond. Select an award below to view details, including eligibility requirements and nomination processes.
Awards presented at the House of Delegates meeting:
The AOA established the annual Bob E. Jones, CAE Award in 2001 to recognize outstanding state and specialty executive directors who continually contribute to the AOA and the osteopathic profession as a whole.
The AOA is pleased to reinstate this award in recognition of the wonderful contributions of our affiliate leaders. The criteria, submission and selection process have been enhanced to acknowledge the great contributions affiliate EDs/CEOs bring to the advancement of the osteopathic profession.
This award is named in honor of Bob E. Jones, CAE, who served as executive director of the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association from 1969 – 1999. His 30-year leadership of the association resulted in numerous advances for the profession. He assumed a major role in coordinating legislative action leading to the establishment of the nation’s first freestanding state-supported college of osteopathic medicine in 1972. He was later the main driving force that led to the school becoming Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Bob also authored the book, “The Difference a DO Makes,” detailing the development and history of osteopathic medicine.
View all the past Bob E. Jones, CAE Award recipients.
The Northup Award, first presented in 1991, is an annual award honoring George W. Northup, DO, who served as the American Osteopathic Association’s Editor-in-Chief for 26 years. Thomas Wesley Allen, DO, who succeeded Dr. Northup as Editor- in-Chief, proposed the award to recognize excellence in writing and scholarship in articles published in The Journal.
The Distinguished Service Award is the AOA’s highest honor. It is awarded annually to deserving physicians or lay individuals for outstanding accomplishments in advancing the science and art of osteopathic medicine, education, philanthropy, or other fields of public service.
The award will be made on the basis of outstanding achievement by an individual. Preferential consideration will be given to those individuals whose service has been to or through the osteopathic medical profession.
This award recognizes contributions to the overall profession, rather than regional or local efforts. Recognition by such certification should, in general, be awarded because of outstanding contribution to the understanding and advancement of osteopathic medicine through research, education, financial aid, or other areas that enable the profession to make a greater contribution to public health.
Each year, the AOA President recognizes those who made a significant contribution to the profession.
View all the past Presidential Citations recipients.
Awards presented at OMED:
The AOA Mentor of the Year Award was developed to honor DOs who help shape the future of the osteopathic profession through their involvement with osteopathic medical students, residents, fellows and new physicians in practice. Students, DOs, AOA affiliates or any other member of the osteopathic professional family are welcome to submit nominations.
The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Unification Award will be presented to one individual and one organization that has proven exemplary leadership and commitment to promoting and advancing DEI initiatives in the osteopathic community.
Nominations may be submitted on the candidate’s behalf with their permission, and must include the following:
Candidates will fulfill the following eligibility requirements:
Past winners:
The AOA Outstanding Affiliate Awards were created in 2021 to recognize the tremendous contributions that affiliates make to the success of the osteopathic profession. Two to three affiliates (state and specialty college) will be selected annually for this award. Affiliates can self-nominate or be nominated by others for this award.
Note: If you nominate an affiliate, please notify the affiliate executive director/CEO so they may provide the requested detail outlined in the nomination form.
Thank you to the Bureau of Affiliate Relations for their review and approval of the criteria and process for the Outstanding Affiliate Awards. Nominations should address specific examples of accomplishments and results achieved related to advancement of the osteopathic profession over the past year.
Past winners:
According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, social determinants of health are “are conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” Research about this concept and about ways to address patient equity in healthcare is crucial to the osteopathic medical profession and all four of its tenets. Each year, the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine will recognize an article that has contributed most significantly to the knowledge base that addresses ways we might begin to better understand and account for social factors contributing to our patients’ disease states and adjust our clinical management to help our patients maximize their opportunities for self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
Past winners:
Innovation is crucial to modern clinical work as well as medical education. While “innovation” can encompass a broad variety of concepts, Journal of Osteopathic Medicine is committed to encouraging and documenting the ways in which new concepts, treatments, devices, protocols, and curricula have potential to “change the game.” Each year, Journal of Osteopathic Medicine will recognize an article that documents outcomes research about a new concept in either patient management or medical education delivery.
Past winners:
Through health policy work, osteopathic physicians and their advocates make progress at the intersection of patient care and legislative governance. This work has always been important to the osteopathic profession, and especially to the AOA and its journal, where our shared mission is to promote and protect your work. Each year, the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine will recognize an article with particularly significant contributions to our collective understanding of how policy can inform and be informed by clinical evidence.
Past winners:
Many JOM readers are engaged in the work of educating the next generation of osteopathic physicians. According to Ross Zafonte, DO, JOM’s Editor in Chief, “we believe that research documenting the outcomes of education being undertaken by our medical student colleagues ultimately does relate to clinical practice because, in its best iteration, it can help us identify what’s working and what isn’t as we teach clinical skills and osteopathic tenets to future DOs.” In that spirit, each year the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine will recognize an article that documented, preferably through quantitative outcomes research, a significant improvement in medical education delivery.
Past winners:
The Clinical Research Award recognizes osteopathic research that assesses and reports the results of a specific clinical intervention in human patients.
Past winners:
With the understanding that research activity has become increasingly important to medical students, residents, fellows, and young practitioners, both in service of their patients and in support of their academic careers, Journal of Osteopathic Medicine will recognize one article each year in which the lead author was an osteopathic medical student (OMS), a resident, a fellow, or a DO in the first three years of practice. The article will have met all criteria for a methodologically rigorous outcomes study and will address an important concept in patient care. Only therapeutic studies on human patients will be eligible.
Past winners:
Awards presented at DO Day:
This award recognizes individuals for their personal commitment to public policy advocacy on behalf of the osteopathic profession. Awards would be given to four individuals: one student, resident, physician, and affiliate executive director. Award criteria is based on in-person advocacy, online advocacy, participation in DO Day and other events, including demonstrated leadership in engaging and facilitating the advocacy of their peers.
This award recognizes one state osteopathic association, one osteopathic specialty college, and one college of osteopathic medicine for organizational activities and accomplishments in advancing public policy on behalf of the osteopathic profession. Award criteria would include specific advocacy successes and overall participation in national advocacy events and efforts.
This award recognizes an individual (student, resident, physician, or staff) for advancing public policy or professional advocacy on behalf of the osteopathic profession through media advocacy. The award would recognize engagement through all media channels and platforms that have advanced the interests of the osteopathic profession.
This award recognizes a journalist from anywhere in the United States who has helped increase public awareness and understanding of the osteopathic profession and/or issues facing our profession. Selection criteria would include accounting for the impact of the individual’s work, engagement with the osteopathic community, and public awareness of the relevant work.
This award is intended to be given to two members of Congress in a bipartisan fashion, recognizing one Democrat and one Republican for their support of policy issues that are important to the osteopathic profession. Award criteria would include the number of priority bills introduced or cosponsored, leadership on issues of particular significance, voting record on legislative priorities, and attending or speaking at AOA or affiliate events.