Home » UPIKE-KYCOM dean receives award for contributions to osteopathic medical education

UPIKE-KYCOM dean receives award for contributions to osteopathic medical education

Boyd R. Buser

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (May 3, 2018)—The American Association of Colleges of Medicine (AACOM) recently honored Boyd R. Buser, D.O., vice president for health affairs and dean of the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM), with the first-ever Board Chair Special Recognition Award. Buser was recognized in Washington, DC, during AACOM’s Annual Awards Banquet, an event hosted to honor the exceptional accomplishments of individuals within the osteopathic medical community.

AACOM presented the esteemed Board Chair Special Recognition Award to Buser for his legacy of excellence and “incalculable impact upon osteopathic medical education” throughout his many years of service to the AACOM Board of Deans.

A fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Physicians, Buser has been an advocate for osteopathic medical education nationally and internationally. He is immediate past president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), past president of the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO) and past chair of the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBOME).

In 2007, Buser was elected to the Current Procedural Terminology editorial panel by the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association. He is a founding member and a current officer of the Board of Directors of the Osteopathic International Alliance. Having taught extensively around the world for the past 15 years, Buser has represented the American osteopathic profession in several World Health Organization initiatives including the Congress on Traditional Medicine held in in Beijing, China, in 2008.

Board certified in osteopathic manipulative medicine and family medicine, Buser is only the second dean to lead KYCOM in its 20-year existence. He also serves as professor of osteopathic principles and practices and professor of family medicine at the college. Under his leadership, KYCOM became a nationally-ranked medical school and has changed the face of rural medicine in Central Appalachia, significantly reducing the number of medically underserved areas. KYCOM alumni are also practicing rural medicine across the country, living out the college’s mission to improve access to healthcare.

Buser, a native of Iowa, received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and his osteopathic medical degree from Des Moines (Iowa) University-College of Osteopathic Medicine. Since earning his D.O. degree, Buser has received numerous awards for outstanding achievements within the osteopathic medical community including the prestigious A.T. Still Medallion of Honor from the AAO, being named Educator of the Year by the AOA and the American Osteopathic Foundation, two Distinguished Service awards from the Maine Osteopathic Association, the Riland Medal for Public Service from the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Santucci Award from the NBOME. The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine presented him with the Pioneer of Osteopathic Medicine award and he received the Medal of Excellence for Distinguished Service from the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

“I am honored to be recognized by AACOM for my efforts in advancing osteopathic medical education over the past thirty-five years,” said Buser. “I have seen our profession undergo remarkable growth and increase in public awareness during that time. Our KYCOM graduates have been a significant factor in that evolution and I’m proud to have been a part of that amazing story.”