Hi all,

I have a couple questions that I was hoping to get people's feedback on, as I am a pre-med student applying this year to med school.

1.) I was wondering... are there any OMM learning opportunities for MDs? I am actually extremely interested in learning about osteopathic manipulation (as my background is in public health, and I firmly believe in combining lifestyle or non-drug alternatives in combination with clinical practice). However, since I would like to travel and work outside the US in various places, I think having an MD would be best for me. But as someone who is naturally curious and enjoys learning, I do not want to cut off the possibility of a modality that could be quite useful to patients. So I was wondering if anyone knew if MD physicians or allopathic med students were allowed to pay per credit fees and take OMM classes at a DO school. I can only wonder if I did something like this, if I wouldn't have BOMEX after me for going outside my scope of practice. However, if I actually took the classes (or got any certification-- I don't know if this is would be no longer an issue).

2a.) In the case that I decide to go for a DO degree (most likely I won't go for a DO since I do want to work internationally, but I'm exploring possibilities), which osteopathic schools focus the most on osteopathic principles? Since I am actually very interested in the osteopathic framework, if I chose to go for a osteopathic degree-- then I'd go all the way, by going to a school that really gives me an in-depth exploration of osteopathy, OMM etc. And hopefully this would be presented in a scientific manner, so that I could be the judge of these modalities myself.

I know people say over and over that the DOs of today are very similar now to the MDs. On one hand, this can be a good thing because it gives DOs more acceptance from the public. However, on the other hand, I wouldn't want any good aspects of the profession to be lost, because the majority of those going to DO schools really wanted to be MDs and don't believe in OMM-- that's sad. So it would be nice to know which schools are clearly grounded in science-based medicine while still giving students full-training in osteopathic principles and clinical skills.

2b.) Along the same lines, I was wondering if OMM and any other specifically-designated 'osteopathic' modalities were discussed in a scientific manner, or were just left as rote memorization. What I mean by this is-- are OMM and other treatment options discussed in terms of efficacy and scientific validity? Do professors discuss specific cases with students and ask them what would be the most appropriate treatment in a particular case and why? Or are students just left to memorize vast quantities of information without inquiry as to whether better options exist (such as lifestyle modification, OMM, other drug alternatives etc)? I know this question can be posed to all medical education in general not just osteopathic school... but I was just wondering.

I'd greatly appreciate any feedback on the above topics, especially from DOs or current osteopathic students. However I make a few requests:

1. Please do not turn this thread into MD versus DO (there are plenty of other threads on this topic for me to read through)

2. Please do not leave unvalidated claims such as 'OMM is crap' (as I'd appreciate the opportunity to research this topic myself and consider it in a scientific way through review of science literature)

3. Please don't write off my questions by saying that there is hardly any difference anymore between modern day osteopathic and allopathic medicine (even though I realize that this is true to some extent, I still am idealistic and believe that there have to be some schools and practitioners which still believe strongly in holistic and alternative approaches and actually have scientific evidence to support their claims).

Thanks!

Answer to 2a. Osteopathic schools that have been around longer usually have the best training as they have faculty that have been teaching for quite some time. Among those schools it would be useless to give names because each school has its own curriculum and style of teaching, and you should goto a school that you feel fits you best.

As far as practicing OMM, those that do Osteopathic residency tends to practice OMM and those DOs that do allopathic residency tend not to practice OMM that much. Unfortunately all the DOs I have met did allopathic residencies.

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This is from the AACOM website. The printed copies were free last year, but you can doenload the online version. They have a lot of good information about each individual school. You might already have come across it but I'm throwing it out just in case.

http://www.aacom.org/resources/books...s/default.aspx

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There are definitely CME opportunities available to MD's at osteopathic schools. During my sojourn at a DO school (I am no longer a student there) there were MDs on faculty, and MDs from the community who attended workshops on OMM. If you choose to go the MD route, as it looks like I will be, you can still learn some useful OMM later. Good luck, either way!

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MS (Health Sciences) - Brigham Young University @ Provo, UT
BA (German Language & Literature) - University of Oregon @ Eugene, OR
Navy Hospital Corpsman (Fleet Marine Force) - 2nd Marine Division / 4th Marine Division

"Pains nor toils nor trials heeding, and in heaven's own time succeeding..."
Wm. E. Hickson (1803-1870)