OMM Fellowships

[DropkickMurphy]

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Hey all......which schools have OMM fellowships that earn you either a tuition break or a stipend? I've been told DMU has one, and NSU does......

 

[Slitherin]

I think years 3,4,5 free, stipend during year 5.

 

[ShyRem]

UNECOM has one. Same as Western, I believe.

 

[jrf331]

Why waste your time????? Is OMM really going to significantly improve your future practice. I think not.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Why waste your time????? Is OMM really going to significantly improve your future practice. I think not.

Probably not, but I have an interest in research into it nonetheless....I have interests in things that will not benefit me financially in the future.

 

[beastmaster]

NYCOM had fellowships in OMM, anatomy, pathology, neuroscience. Last year the fellowships were consolidated into a central "academic medicine" fellowship, under which you could then specialize within your discipline of choice.

 

[kaikai128]

I think a lot of ppl do it because it saves them the cost of tuition for two entire years...that is a pretty big monetary advantage. Not to mention the facth that you get a lot of time to do research (if that is your thing), and have a great chance of getting published--which can't hurt for residencies.

 

[ShyRem]

Actually, there are a few folks who are planning on doing OMM private practices on the side. This has been a highly lucrative business in some places. Certainly any reasonable physician would know when to do OMM and when to do technology-based medicine. Personally, I get OMM every few weeks for a systemic ligament disorder. Pharmacology, surgery, and other "modern" therapies cannot help me. But OMM keeps my secondary muscular/joint issues under control.

 

[beastmaster]

In which case, you should be aware that POST-doctoral fellowships also exist. And I believe also the rotating internships, done at certain places, provide ample OMM opportunities.

Yet another option is to just learn learn all of the OMM properly the first time, attend the extra-curricular functions by the OMM clubs where they feature guest speakers and special technique sessions, find the coolest OMM professors and shadow them, etc ... all things that won't require an extra year.

 

[Xoynx]

Still, I think that immersing yourself in an OMM fellowship will open doors to learning that just wouldn't happen otherwise. Me, I'm aiming for an OMM fellowship because I plan on launching my private practice ASAP.

 

[JonnyG]

PCOM go five years pay for three and a stipend for years 3,4,5.

 

[siinew]

Hey all......which schools have OMM fellowships that earn you either a tuition break or a stipend? I've been told DMU has one, and NSU does......

AZCOM has one. TCOM has a fellowship, but not sure about stipend or tuition break.

 

[Vox Animo]

Hey all......which schools have OMM fellowships that earn you either a tuition break or a stipend? I've been told DMU has one, and NSU does......

CCOM has two fellowships positions per year. You do it amidst rotations third fourth and fifth year. The fellowships puts you on a five year track. Full tuition paid for and i believe a monthly stipend.

 

[fullefect1]

UNECOM has one. Same as Western, I believe.

Does UNECOM pay for 3rd, 4th, and 5th year of school? Anyone know for sure.

 

[IgE]

KCOM does. I'm not exactly sure how it works though other than it adds an extra year.

 

[ShyRem]

DISCLAiMER: THIS IS A GUESS. I believe you pay for 3 years of school, and they pay you a stipend for the fifth year. I could absolutely be wrong about this -- i'm not a fellow. But if i'm wrong, I'm probably underestimating the benefits.

 

[danclear]

TCOM (Texas) has a great OMM Pre-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF). If you do the discontinuous program, which most of us do, you can elect to complete it during your 3rd or 4th year. You spend 4 months in the Fellowship, and 4 months on rotations over a 2 year period. Another option is completely interrupting your clinical rotations and doing a straight year of the Fellowship (which one of our Fellows is currently doing).

TCOM has a great stipend for completing the Fellowship, and your extra year of medical school is paid for. TCOM is also unique in that our Fellowship program offers us the opportunity to earn a Masters in Clinical Research and Education in OMM. So I will be graduating with a DO/MS. We have the opportunity to teach OMM classes to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year medical students (I taught close to 50 lectures in OMM), we see patients in the OMM clinic two half-days per week, we can get involved in research (regardless of whether you choose to do the MS program), and we have an additional educational stipend to attend conferences and workshops. On top of this, we have personal training with many gifted OMM docs, so we develop our skills much further than from your didactic years of training. It has truly been an invaluable experience for me.

Why is doing a PDF better than doing a +1 Fellowship? When I entered the Fellowship in my 3rd year, I had the attitude that I knew a lot of OMM and how to treat effectively with it. I was sadly mistaken, and I still realize that I have a lot to learn. I have definitely improved my skills further, and I feel confident in treating practically any patient with OMT in addition to the standard of care. I was also on-the-fence when I started my 3rd year as to what kind of residency training I would be going into (AOA, ACGME, or dually-accredited). Now that I have completed the PDF I have earned a much greater allegiance towards the AOA, and I am only seeking AOA residencies (in Family Medicine). Also, because of extending my medical school tenure, I have had the opportunity to be active in a variety of leadership positions. All of this has made me a very attractive candidate for residency positions. In the past most of the Fellows have not had any trouble getting into the residency of their choice. Some of the TCOM PDFs have gone into very competitive fields too, such as PM&R; and have gotten into some very presigious programs.

One downside of doing a PRE-Doctoral Fellowship is we (the PDFs) are currently unable to sit for the OMM certification Boards upon completion of our residency training. Some people feel like this makes the Fellowship not worth their time, as they don't technically have anything after their name to show for the extra year they spent in med school. This is an issue that myself and some other PDFs are trying to address. Part of the reason behind this is not all PDF programs are the same. Some PDFs only assist in teaching the OMM classes, and that is it (this is what our TAs do in their 2nd year). So the traditional training that a post-doctoral Fellow (+1) would get is not equivalent to all of the PDF training programs. My justification for PDFs still being eligible for the OMM Boards is that if the AAO provides an exam with appropriate rigor, then those PDFs that received sufficient training should pass, and those that did not will not pass. It is not like they are just handing over the certification, it still must be earned...and it must be earned 3+ years after the PDF has been completed (since it is given after residency completion). But enough about that issue.

I think I have written enough (I always tend to go overboard).

 

[danclear]

Why waste your time????? Is OMM really going to significantly improve your future practice. I think not.

This really depends on how you plan on practicing medicine. This profession was built upon the ability to use OMT as an adjunct to the standard of care, not as the only treatment. While most DOs nowaday do not elect to use OMT in their practice, I feel this is a sad trend. OMM has the ability to be used in almost all fields of medicine (I will give fields such as radiology & path a break). By using OMT in addition to standard of care, we are providing our patients the most comprehensive treatment available. Don't you think our patients would appreciate that we did EVERYTHING we could do to address their problem?

Even if you don't make money off of doing OMT, it is not just about making money. It develops repoire with your patients (which can also lead to fewer potential lawsuits), it can facilitate their healing, it can make their standard treatment (eg: abx) more effectively distributed throughout their body, etc.

My point is, don't count out OMM just because you may have had a negative experience with it in medical school. Find a residency that offers good training, and where the OMM docs can explain the stuff to you in rational language (I am well aware that some of them seem to speak like they are not from this planet).

 

[Dr JPH]

PCOM:
Year 3 - half tuition coverage, monthly stipend x 4 months, CME funds, half health insurance coverage
Year 4 - half tuition coverage, monthly stipend x 4 months, CME funds, half health insurance coverage
Year 5 - full tuition coverage, monthly stipend x 4 months, CME funds, half health insurance coverage

Total tuition coverage: $68,000.00
Total CME funds: $4,500.00
Total stipend: $4,800.00
Total insurance coverage: $3,200.00

Other benefits as well that are not advertised.

PCOM takes 4 OMM Fellows each year. Applications have ranged from mid 20's to 12 per year for the 4 spots.

Past PCOM OMM Fellows:
2 Cardiologists
2 OB/GYN
1 Dermatologist
5 PM&R
2 Orthopedic Surgeons
1 Anesthesiologist
18 Family Physicians/Internists
4 OMM Specialists



I plan on entering General Surgery

 

[beastmaster]

When I entered the Fellowship in my 3rd year, I had the attitude that I knew a lot of OMM and how to treat effectively with it. I was sadly mistaken, and I still realize that I have a lot to learn. I have definitely improved my skills further, and I feel confident in treating practically any patient with OMT in addition to the standard of care.

Can you list some specific examples please. Such as your new ways of looking at certain techniques, treatment approaches, etc. Spare no details!

 

[danclear]

Can you list some specific examples please. Such as your new ways of looking at certain techniques, treatment approaches, etc. Spare no details!

When I started the PDF, I was mainly "Mr. HVLA." I am still a big HVLA person, but I probably use more muscle energy, myofascial release, Still technique, and ligamentous articular strain than anything else now. In all of my techniques now, I feel that I am much better at effective diagnosis, localization when applying a technique, and being effective when applying a technique. For example, I find that when I do HVLA now I am much better at bringing the patient to the restrictive barrier, and a lot of the times I barely have to, or don't have to, thrust as the joint articulates back into place purely from my localization.

I found that treating the soft tissue and fascial strains would make my treatments much more effective on a long-term basis. When you mainly work on your fellow students in the first two years you can get away with quick HVLA. This is because most dysfunction is acute, and the students tend to be young and resilient. When working with patients with chronic pain and/or hospitalized patients, you have to tailor a more appropriate treatment to that patient. Yes, HVLA could fix this patient's lesion, but applying MFR is much more appropriate in the respective setting.

Overall, I am much more well-rounded in the OMM treatments I apply now. I feel more confident in the philosophy behind the techniques and I am better able to improvise treating a patient with nearly any technique no matter what age, size, position, or condition the patient has. Hope this helped.

 

[Dr JPH]

Overall, I am much more well-rounded in the OMM treatments I apply now. I feel more confident in the philosophy behind the techniques and I am better able to improvise treating a patient with nearly any technique no matter what age, size, position, or condition the patient has. Hope this helped.

Agree 100%

I would also like to add that I am better able to apply OMM to a wide variety of patient types (OB, Surgical, hospital patients) so I am not just limited to treating in the office type setting.

 

[danclear]

Agree 100%

I would also like to add that I am better able to apply OMM to a wide variety of patient types (OB, Surgical, hospital patients) so I am not just limited to treating in the office type setting.

Good point. I am definitely more capable of using OMT in any kind of setting. Hell, I am even applying osteopathic principles while I am on radiology this month...which is a sweet 4th year rotation by the way.

 

[drchris33]

I did my fellowship at KCUMB (Kansas City). The way our program is set up is that we do the year long fellowship, not like most schools who have it interrupted during the third, fourth and fifth year. We only get our 4th year tuition waived, unless you count the actual fellowship year as a year of school. We also get a stipened.

I had a great year doing the fellowship. I really learned how to apply other modalities (ie Stills, FPR, BLT, ME, etc) instead of the "rack em and crack em" way of treatment. I also really enjoyed being able to help educate first and second years. I also tutored anatomy on the side for some excellent review and a bit of cash.

I am pursuing surgery as a career. I really want to utilize it as much as I can in the pre and post-op setting as well as the ICU setting. I think there is a big gap that needs to be filled in this area of medicine.

The only negative aspect of my fellowship was that when I jumped into ER in July, I felt really behind. It took about the whole month to catch up to be where I was before; but all in all, the extra year was totally worth it. I want to implement a research project using OMM in surgery during my residency. Not sure what to do yet, just wanna do something (post-op pain management, pre-op cervical treatment and anesthesia recovery)

 

[beastmaster]

Does anyone else notice how this speaks to some flaws in our standard education? I just can't imagine anyone completing med school and saying "boy, I really feel like I'm lacking in pharmacology." Partly that's because you can google any drug, or luck it up in one of a dozen reknowned pharmacology texts.

Our OMM textbook is never helpful. Try to google BLT and you get maybe 100 hits, most of them worthless. Low back for example. All the techniques we've learned for lumbar rely on a somatic dysfunction that most students can't even find. Other than myofascial, I have no idea what to do for a patient who says "my back hurts right there." So say I find a dysfunction (which I won't), try some ME or FPR, go through the motions. Three minutes later nothing changed... "my back still hurts, right there, what are you stupid?"

Maybe its too early, and I still have some years to learn and pick up experience, but I don't understand what is so magical about your extra year, OMM fellows, during which your omm skills grow so much. Maybe you can make suggestions about how to better approach a 4-year plan. I have no interest in a fellowship, but I don't want to graduate with the feeling that my OMM isn't up to snuff.

 

[Dr JPH]

Maybe you can make suggestions about how to better approach a 4-year plan. I have no interest in a fellowship, but I don't want to graduate with the feeling that my OMM isn't up to snuff.

It doesnt point out any flaws at all.

What graduating DO can say he/she knows all there is to know about cardiology? Thats what residency is for.

The only way to get better at OMM is to practice it. I know many students who are just as proficient as I because they take the time to actually do OMM on their patients.

The OMM Fellowship affords you more time to use OMT on real patients, but any DO student who wants to improve their skills can do so with their own practice.

And YES, there are many people who graduate medical school lacking in certain areas whether it be Pharm, Nephro, Cards or OMM. Ask some of the upper years at your school. Medical school gives you a foundation of knowledge...you need to build on it to become proficient in ANY area.

SO again, the additional year simply gives me more patient contact.

 

[danclear]

I agree with JPHazelton. There are definitely students who develop their OMM skills to the same degree, or even greater, than the OMM Fellows. As JPHazelton was stating, we have more opportunities to deal with patients specifically in an OMM treatment setting. This has further led me to be able to apply OMT in practically any clinical or hospital setting.

One thing I did not totally understand in my first two years of med school that I picked up more in the Fellowship is the principles behind the techniques we employ with OMT. Once I felt I had an understanding of these principles, I no longer needed a textbook to remember how to do a technique.

Also, as JPHazelton was stating, you get good by practicing. I was able to work on my wife, family, and friends in addition to my classmates during my first two years. This significantly increased my abilities over many of my classmates', but even at this point I still need to keep practicing to further develop my skills in palpation and treatment.

Another good thing about doing the PDF is the well-known learning technique, "see one, do one, teach one." Most PDFs have the opportunity to teach classes to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year students (and sometimes even residents and practicing physicians). This further reinforces our OMM skills, as well as our understanding of how it works. Try taking one technique that you feel really confident with, and then teach it to someone who is not familiar with it. Keep in mind you should be able to answer questions about why you are using this technique, the anatomy it is affecting, why this area is likely to possess this dysfunction, the possible complications of treating or not treating this area, etc. As you can see, there is a lot more to becoming proficient in OMT than one might think. Just as most students are not likely to auscultate mitral valve prolapse on their first day of medical school, neither are they expected to be proficient on their first attempt at an OMM technique.

 

[Peace&Health]

Hey all......which schools have OMM fellowships that earn you either a tuition break or a stipend? I've been told DMU has one, and NSU does......

Not sure what you define as tuition break, but the year you are an OMM fellow (if accepted), you do get a stipend break at KCOM. KCOM also have anatomy fellowships too.

 

[NKMU]

If you want to study OMM, go for it. However, I think it's a mistake to concern yourself with which have stipends or tuition breaks. The year you'll spend as a fellow obviously puts you out into practice one year later than your classmates, and one year in most fields has the potential to yield >=100K. At best, you might break even by doing a year-long fellowship.

What about going into practice and then attending every OMM conference/training session you can find?

 

[Dr JPH]

If you want to study OMM, go for it. However, I think it's a mistake to concern yourself with which have stipends or tuition breaks. The year you'll spend as a fellow obviously puts you out into practice one year later than your classmates, and one year in most fields has the potential to yield >=100K. At best, you might break even by doing a year-long fellowship.

What about going into practice and then attending every OMM conference/training session you can find?

Attending conferences and training sessions certainly do help but it is often not easy for the practicing clinician to attend these.

Also, the 1 year of salary over the course of a 30 year career hardly seems significant. In fact, the money that I am saving is roughly twice what I would have made this year as an intern...so I come out on top there.

I like the fact that I will be proficient in OMT in many different areas of medicine and as soon as I become licensed I can begin using these techniques and getting paid for it...afterall, part of the OMM Fellowship offers insight into how an OMM office is setup to make the most financially of the short time with patients.

But I do agree, dont chose a school based on the OMM Fellowship. First of all, there is no guarantee that you will be accepted or even want to do the OMM Fellowship.

 

[drchris33]

JP--

I too will be doing general surgery. Have you learned any newer or cool techniques that you have/will be able to apply in the hospital setting?? I did my OMM Fellowship last year and we really didnt do a lot of inpatient stuff, and we did nothing for surgical, OB, etc.

We mainly used Stills, FPR, BLT and MFR in the hospital. I'm always looking for something new.

Thanks!