Past Physician to the US President will be NBOME’s next president and CEO

Past Physician to the President Kevin O’Connor, DO, will be the next president and CEO of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME). Dr. O’Connor will join NBOME on Sept. 1 and will be officially installed as president and CEO at the organization’s Annual Board of Directors meeting in December.

A wealth of experience

Dr. O’Connor previously served as physician to U.S. President Joe Biden from 2021 until the end of his term in January 2025. Prior to that appointment, he served for eight years as Physician to the Vice President. Overall, Dr. O’Connor conducted White House medical operations for more than 14 years across three administrations.

As an alum of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) and a retired United States Army colonel with 22 years of active-duty military experience, Dr. O’Connor has a record of performing well in high-stakes, fast-paced and public-facing medical environments.

Dr. O’Connor’s military assignments include service as Command Surgeon for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta and Battalion Surgeon for the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he led medical operations supporting elite special operations units during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

“Dr. O’Connor is a graduate of NYITCOM and a retired Army colonel who spent his career practicing osteopathic medicine in demanding environments. He now leads an organization central to how our physicians are assessed and credentialed,” said AOA President Richard Thacker, DO, MACOI. “The AOA congratulates him and looks forward to the NBOME’s continued work on behalf of the profession.”

Dr. O’Connor brings three decades of leadership experience across federal service, military medicine, academic medicine and healthcare operations to NBOME.

A longstanding commitment to osteopathic medicine

“The NBOME’s work sits at the center of how DOs move from training into practice,” said AOA CEO Kathleen Creason, MBA. “Dr. O’Connor takes on that responsibility at a moment when nearly 30% of all U.S. medical students are in DO programs. The AOA will work with him and the NBOME on priorities that impact osteopathic medicine—universal acceptance of COMLEX-USA, a strong education pipeline and clear public understanding of what osteopathic physicians deliver.”

Dr. O’Connor has also maintained a longstanding commitment to the osteopathic medical profession and its advancement. He has dedicated significant portions of his career to supporting osteopathic medical education, professional development and physician leadership. Since 2017, he has served on the NBOME National Faculty.

He has addressed graduates at numerous colleges of osteopathic medicine and has been a featured speaker at major osteopathic organizations and professional meetings, including those of the AOA, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP) and the Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (AMOPS).