OMM class

[Dr Dazzle]

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As an entering student, I was wondering if med students could describe what actually happens in the class and what you learn. Is this class part of every semester in med school? Is it integrated with other courses? Is there a way to better prepare for this experience?

 

[bleeker10]

As an entering student, I was wondering if med students could describe what actually happens in the class and what you learn.

We learned the basic tenets of osteopathic medicine, we learned the history of it, we learned the treatment modalities and we learned how to apply OMM to specific diseases/ailments

Is this class part of every semester in med school?

Yes we had lecture for an hour once a week followed by lab which was 1.5-2 hours long

Is it integrated with other courses?

Yea when we got to our systems based learning (mostly second year after we had learned all the basic techniques minus cranial), the lectures and labs would have more of a focus on the system such as GI or respiratory

Is there a way to better prepare for this experience?

Better way than what? You can't really prepare for OMM. The first lab will be awkward because everyone will be topless and not know what to do. But after that, you just realize it's part of the learning curve and move on.

 

[NeuroLAX]

Same experience for me thus far (M1). Zero integration of OPP into basic sciences during the first year for me. I don't know if this is typical but my curriculum has a clinical reasoning course which incorporated OPP into clinical case scenarios only once or twice. The bulk of that course is devoted to being an intro to clinical medicine and medical management, whereas the OPP course presented the osteopathic principles in relation to OMM-specific disease/dysfunction topics. One hour lecture and 2 hours lab per week.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Same experience for me thus far (M1). Zero integration of OPP into basic sciences during the first year for me. I don't know if this is typical but my curriculum has a clinical reasoning course which incorporated OPP into clinical case scenarios only once or twice. The bulk of that course is devoted to being an intro to clinical medicine and medical management, whereas the OPP course presented the osteopathic principles in relation to OMM-specific disease/dysfunction topics. One hour lecture and 2 hours lab per week.

What do you do in the lab? Practice the techniques on other students?

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

What do you do in the lab? Practice the techniques on other students?

Yes. You practice on each other. Don't worry, you start with the really easy stuff first.

 

[Nissan GTR]

everyone will be topless and not know what to do

awww yeah!!!

 

[NeuroLAX]

What do you do in the lab? Practice the techniques on other students?

Yes. You practice on each other. Don't worry, you start with the really easy stuff first.

What Cipher said. You'll have the OPP faculty and fellows guide you through everything. You're not thrown to the wolves, if that's what you're asking. It's very structured. You'll likely start out with identification and palpation of bony landmarks on a skeleton and the body to get you accustomed to using your hands as diagnostic tools. Then you'll jump right into the rest of the curriculum.

 

[abolt18]

awww yeah!!!

hahahaha 👍

 

[Dr Yiot]

bleeker hit the nail on the head.

 

[DocVapor]

My experience is pretty much what the others have said. My curriculum is systems-based after the first block (~ 8 weeks of basic sciences). Our PPC/OMM course is not only where we learn osteopathic diagnosis and treatment, but also where we go over the standard physical exams (neuro, cardio, etc) so there is some overlap with our clinical medicine course there which is nice. I would think it would be impossible to make the entire course coincide with your first two years, so do expect some amount of time to be studying information that doesn't correlate with your other courses (I.E. Sacral/Pelvic diagnosis during neuro block.)

Is there a way to better prepare for this experience?

Everyone is always worried about the "shorts, or shorts/sports bra" rule - but think about it this way: you see more skin at the pool or beach than you do in PPC/OMM class. You'll also get over putting your hands on people pretty quick, so it's probably not worth it to start laying hands on every person you pass at the mall.

Really, as long as you aren't a creeper you'll be fine.

 

[abolt18]

My experience is pretty much what the others have said. My curriculum is systems-based after the first block (~ 8 weeks of basic sciences). Our PPC/OMM course is not only where we learn osteopathic diagnosis and treatment, but also where we go over the standard physical exams (neuro, cardio, etc) so there is some overlap with our clinical medicine course there which is nice. I would think it would be impossible to make the entire course coincide with your first two years, so do expect some amount of time to be studying information that doesn't correlate with your other courses (I.E. Sacral/Pelvic diagnosis during neuro block.)



Everyone is always worried about the "shorts, or shorts/sports bra" rule - but think about it this way: you see more skin at the pool or beach than you do in PPC/OMM class. You'll also get over putting your hands on people pretty quick, so it's probably not worth it to start laying hands on every person you pass at the mall.

Really, as long as you aren't a creeper you'll be fine.

Oh crap I'm screwed!

 

[DocVapor]

Lol.

Oh, and gentlemen, PLEASE invest in a pair or two of BOXER BRIEFS to wear under your shorts in lab if you don't have any already.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using SDN Mobile

 

[bleeker10]

Lol.

Oh, and gentlemen, PLEASE invest in a pair or two of BOXER BRIEFS to wear under your shorts in lab if you don't have any already.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using SDN Mobile

In my experience, it was the ladies who needed to invest in some underwear since many of them wear short shorts. In the winter a lot of people got away with scrub pants.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

As an entering student, I was wondering if med students could describe what actually happens in the class and what you learn. Is this class part of every semester in med school? Is it integrated with other courses? Is there a way to better prepare for this experience?

My school makes you wear scrubs to OMM. Lab once a week for two hours, lecture once a week for one hour. Aside from anatomy, nothing really is integrated into OMM. The best way to prepare for OMM is to think differently than in your basic science classes. Don't try too hard to figure out why or how certain techniques or dysfunctions work, just accept everything the faculty say as fact and take the exams.

 

[Anicetus]

awww yeah!!!

And that is how you don't get laid in medical school.

 

[Dr Dazzle]

Lol.

Oh, and gentlemen, PLEASE invest in a pair or two of BOXER BRIEFS to wear under your shorts in lab if you don't have any already.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using SDN Mobile

You mean you have to strip down to your undies?! What about having a shirt on?

 

[NeuroLAX]

You mean you have to strip down to your undies?! What about having a shirt on?

That's definitely not what he meant

 

[Back 5]

If you are sincere about getting better at your palpation skills, start tracing out a string or hair beneath phone book pages. The pages are typically thin. If your phone book is too thick, get a bible and place a string under a single page. Close your eyes and using your fingers, trace out the string. Once you get good enough at that, progress to two pages then three etc.

This sounds hokey, but it will work.

You've got to practice feeling things with your fingers.

 

[DocVapor]

You mean you have to strip down to your undies?! What about having a shirt on?

No, you won't strip down to your undies. Males will have shorts on but will be shirtless while they are the "patient" when you are doing thoracic diagnosis. Women will be in sports bras and shorts/yoga pants/whatever.

My comment about the boxer briefs was alluding to the fact that on several occasions you will find yourself in fairly compromising positions. Shorts and boxers are loose, and thus by their nature may give you a clear view of your partner's genitalia without much way to get away from it. Or, perhaps you are the one who forgot and wore boxers, and now your partner (an unfamiliar classmate? a buddy? your secret crush?) will get the distinct pleasure of now knowing what you're working with, whether they wanted to or not. Boxer briefs prevent that sort of thing.

You'll learn pretty quickly that what goes on between you and your partner in OMM lab stays between you and your partner, but do you really want to be that familiar with them?

 

[Nissan GTR]

do you really want to be that familiar with them?

if she's cute yes.

 

[Mr Kenobi]

if she's cute yes.

 

[hallowmann]

Good old Ben, comin through in the clutch.

 

[DrEnderW]

Good old Ben, comin through in the clutch.

Ben!?

That wizard is just a crazy old man. Now, tomorrow I want you to take that R2 unit to Anchorhead and have its memory erased.

 

[Eiot]

And that is how you don't get laid in medical school.

 

[DocGodfather]

That will be awkward to go shirtless on the first day. Will guys and girls be separated from partnering up? Either way, I'm glad I workout out and eat healthy lol.

 

[NeuroLAX]

That will be awkward to go shirtless on the first day. Will guys and girls be separated from partnering up? Either way, I'm glad I workout out and eat healthy lol.

You'll get over it quickly, just make sure you wash your clothes and shower. They'll assign you a partner each lab. Guys with guys, girls with girls, guys with girls... you get the picture.

 

[DocGodfather]

You'll get over it quickly, just make sure you wash your clothes and shower. They'll assign you a partner each lab. Guys with guys, girls with girls, guys with girls... you get the picture.

Cool. Pretty sure you're right in that it'll be no big deal after the first time. Good hygiene is a definite thing to have.

 

[DocVapor]

Cool. Pretty sure you're right in that it'll be no big deal after the first time. Good hygiene is a definite thing to have.

A little musk never hurt anybody. I mean, it's not like you're going to spritz on some Sex Panther before lab, right?

 

[wooki]

You'll get over it quickly, just make sure you wash your clothes and shower. They'll assign you a partner each lab. guys with girls... you get the picture.

understood.