I know it's not possible to know which school has the best OMM program since there is no way to compare and each MS has its own bias to their own school but it would be nice to hear from people telling us why or why not their OMM program is great! Possibly, some feedback on the OMM faculty. Thanks! 👍 On a side note: I've interviewed at a few schools and anyone can PM me if they have questions on the app process including hotels, transportation, etc.
Best OMM Program?
- Thread starter cellojoe
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UNE. Dr. Jane Carreiro. 'nuff said.
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ATSU-KCOM has a great OMM department. Our OMM class is a large part of the curriculum, and we are rarely in the lecture hall for class (usually in the lab, except for 3 lectures thus far). We have American trained DO's, as well as European and Australian DO's, as instructors. There are also pre-doctoral fellows around, so anyone not lecturing on a given day is available to help students during class.
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I have no complaints of the OPP here at DCOM. The chair of the department is on the COMLEX review committee for OPP, so we get a pretty good idea of what's "need to know" and what else is garnish.
That being said, a big part of success in OMM is how much effort you put into it. Without putting in time on your own and practicing with classmates/friends/family members your tactile skills won't be sufficient to take full advantage of what you learn in lab.
That being said, a big part of success in OMM is how much effort you put into it. Without putting in time on your own and practicing with classmates/friends/family members your tactile skills won't be sufficient to take full advantage of what you learn in lab.
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I would love to hear about Nova's and MSU COM's OMM programs. What do current students think of them?
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When I picked my school, I picked where I thought I'd feel most comfortable and get the best education (didn't really think about MD/DO or OMM or anything like that), I picked nova for lots of reasons, but OMM wasn't one of them.
That said, our dept. is AMAZING. The one hour of OMM lecture we have a week is easily one of my favorite parts of the week. Dr. Boesler is INCREADABLE.
i wanted to tell you where he came from (turns out it was DMU), because I cuoldn't remember, so I googled him and came up with this gem:
http://more.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=95198
I find it pretty amusing that students at his old school were talking about how awesome he was there! We are SO lucky to have him (I'm very aware of that ESPECIALLY since he's my doc and treats me at the clinic, he's done great things for my back.).
In OMM lab we have Fellows (people who took an extra year between M2 and M3) that are there to help us as well as several table instructors. It's normally 8 students per instructor I think. it's pretty awesome. We have american trained DO's (Like dr. Arcos/Sandhouse/Boesler and a few who I haven't had yet as trainers so I don't know them very well) as well a a professor that's an australian trained osteopath and of course teh fellows, and an occasional person rotating through. All in all we get a VERY broad spectrum of teaching styles in our OMM lab.
My one complaint with nova's OMM at NSU is that I feel like we're going SO SLOW. This is kind of a stupid complaint, I realize, as we're learning it REALLY REALLY well...but I feel like it could be a little faster paced.
I feel like sometimes the 2 hour labs kind of drag a little bit. Though we're rarely there for the whole two hours, more like an hour 20 min/hour and a half...wow. in retrospect...um. maybe not as much dragging as I thought lol.
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I'd like to tell you that KCUMB has a great OMT program, but I wouldn't be inclined to believe myself if I were to do just that. It's fairly standard, consisting of 1.5-2 hr weekly labs, with a weekly lecture a few times per section. It's taught by clinicians assisted by undergraduate fellows and TA's (2nd year medical students, who assist you during your first year). You will get an OMT education here, but I can't think of anything that I'd say was superb. Nevertheless, I think if you put in the time and the effort, you'll learn more than enough.
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Yeah, elaborate.
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I just about fell off the bench when they said they had 1 instructor for every 2 OMS1 students! Second year is normal, but man...that's pretty darn cool...
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Ditto to what Spiced said.....
In my own opinion I feel that I am getting the education to prepare me for COMLEX exams and perhaps use a few modalities in practice but thats about it. I cant speak for any other school, but here im disappointed by the grading in OMT. It seems whether I study a week in advance vs. an hour it really doesnt make a difference, just luck of the draw on who grades ya..... Which sux most of the time.
In my own opinion I feel that I am getting the education to prepare me for COMLEX exams and perhaps use a few modalities in practice but thats about it. I cant speak for any other school, but here im disappointed by the grading in OMT. It seems whether I study a week in advance vs. an hour it really doesnt make a difference, just luck of the draw on who grades ya..... Which sux most of the time.
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I was really impressed by DMU's OMM facilities. They have tons of students and staff there training during class as well.
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Cranial is taught at UNE. One exam worth, and tanking it wouldn't hurt you too much if you did well on the other stuff. Not tested in practical setting. However, I would encourage you to learn it - I had at least a dozen questions on the COMLEX on cranial (in comparison to literally TWO sacral questions).
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even if your critical of it and don't believe in it. It is still on the boards and needs to be taught. Many of the schools do not test the actual performance of cranial just the theory.
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Check out a good OMM text for some clues. Some DO schools have OMT demonstrations on interview days and open houses, too.
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James Norton PhD (Physiology) and Steve Hartman PhD (Anatomy) both have been highly critical of cranial and have published a few articles/letters saying as much. One thing I liked about UNE's OMM Dept. is that while there are a few people who are on the goofy side, most are pretty down to earth and open to contradictory ideas. When cranial was introduced to us the lecturer (George Pasquarello DO) prominently discussed Drs. Norton and Hartman's criticism without being dismissive of it and gave it equal standing with other theories of how/why cranial may/may not work.
Personally I feel like if there is any benefit to it, it is simply in a musculoskeletal level (maybe good for headaches and such) and only works on external structures (skin, fascia, muscles) that may have some contribution to MSK complaints. The whole notion of cranial rhythmic impulses and perceptions of micrometer-level bone movements falls so far outside the realm of plausibility or proof that I, personally, like many, dismiss it. Unfortunately for many in the field this has become such dogma and the claims for its efficacy in various conditions so outlandish that I also agree with those that would argue the ludicrous aspects of it should be removed from the curricula of osteopathic schools. You can learn it as C"M"E along with reflexology and Reiki.
Personally I feel like if there is any benefit to it, it is simply in a musculoskeletal level (maybe good for headaches and such) and only works on external structures (skin, fascia, muscles) that may have some contribution to MSK complaints. The whole notion of cranial rhythmic impulses and perceptions of micrometer-level bone movements falls so far outside the realm of plausibility or proof that I, personally, like many, dismiss it. Unfortunately for many in the field this has become such dogma and the claims for its efficacy in various conditions so outlandish that I also agree with those that would argue the ludicrous aspects of it should be removed from the curricula of osteopathic schools. You can learn it as C"M"E along with reflexology and Reiki.
Yea, that's understandable. The medical school would be doing their students a disservice if it was going to be tested on the boards and they ignored it.
That's good at least.
Yea, things have been proven that were once thought to be implausible, but you need proof. I can't find any for cranial. Hopefully, now that osteopathic medicine has become virtually indistinguishable from allopathic medicine in practice rights, and quality of education, this stuff will start to go away.
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Out of all the schools I interviewed at, KCOM definitely seemed to push it the hardest. They kept making a point how great their new OMT area was and all that stuff. They also made a point of talking about the research when I was there. I guess that is good if it is your bag.
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ATSU-KCOM has a very strong OMM dept. You can't help but learn it. It feels excessive if it's not your thing, but absolutely provides a strong, solid foundation. If you do rotations in other regions and interact with other DOs or DO students from other schools, you may automatically get a little respect just for the name itself. The motherland = Kirksville 🙂
As for cranial, there is a required portion of the course dedicated to it and a more extensive optional cranial course offered as well.
As for cranial, there is a required portion of the course dedicated to it and a more extensive optional cranial course offered as well.
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Hello, OMS I here! I believe I have been receiving amazing OMM training at TUCOM - CA. Every week, we have two-hour labs with 1 experienced (and some world renowned) faculty member per 7-10 students. We also have 3 fellows per semester that provide lots of one-on-one attention for groups that want more practice. The OMM lab is always open so you can work on your palpatory skills whenever it works with your schedule (and believe me, you need to log lots of time to develop your palpatory skills). We are taught many forms of treatment, and there are extra seminars and classes you can take on your own time provided by the UAAO club. If you go to an osteopathic school, be sure to advocate for your OMM training. This is a tool that makes us amazing diagnosticians. It is a non-invasive treatment that can get to the root of a problem, or it can be an adjunct to therapy. At TUCOM - CA, I am getting an incredible theory and practical OMM education- please PM me if you have any questions! 😍
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What does everyone think of MSUCOM? Do they have a strong/weak program for OMM?
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One of my OMM professors graduated from Western- she is terrific. I know that they have fewer OMM professors (comparing it to Touro-CA), but many, many fellows (3rd and 5th year students). The disadvantage to this is that you really do want to learn the bulk of your OMM skills from experts, who have spent lots of time with patients. Fellows are fresh meat- while they don't have the hands-on experience that the professors do, they sometimes can explain OMM theory and treatment concepts in a way that is easier for 1st and 2nd years to understand, since they have recently been in your shoes. Hope this helps!
