I am going to be entering an MD program in the fall of 04--however I am fascinated by OMM/OMT of the osteopaths, and was wondering if it was possible to take a class over the summer to learn it. Has anyone heard of such a program?
Pre-MD student learn OMM?
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Where are you going to be going to medical school? Is there an osteopathic school nearby?
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Why not become an osteopath?
Some of us only applied to D.O. schools, and others turned down MD offers. OMM drew us here.
Some of us only applied to D.O. schools, and others turned down MD offers. OMM drew us here.
actually--PCOM, which I consider the foremost of the Osteopathic schools is in philadelphia, which is the closest city containing a medical school to my location.
I don't want to stray from the subject, but with many MD's in the family i didn't want to start off a rival faction
I highly respect DO's as well as MD's, so lets just leave it at that. After all, we are both working together for the benefit of the patient, and isn't that what's important?
I've always been really good with my hands, which is why I want to learn OMM/OMT. I'm sure there's got to be a way to learn--if worse comes to worse maybe I could buy an OMT/OMM textbook and attempt to self-study it during the summer.
I don't want to stray from the subject, but with many MD's in the family i didn't want to start off a rival faction
I highly respect DO's as well as MD's, so lets just leave it at that. After all, we are both working together for the benefit of the patient, and isn't that what's important?I've always been really good with my hands, which is why I want to learn OMM/OMT. I'm sure there's got to be a way to learn--if worse comes to worse maybe I could buy an OMT/OMM textbook and attempt to self-study it during the summer.
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It might be a bit hard to self-study with just a book (and no osteopath to guide you)
Reading it is one thing - feeling and palpating is another.
Plus, you will need a willing partner who is willing to be poked, pushed, yanked, twisted, etc.
also, you need lots of practice feeling what is normal (in all types of body in both types of sexes) before you will realize that something is abnormal
Anyway, call the various schools (PCOM, UMDNJ-SOM, VCOM are closest to delaware) to see if they have any programs for visiting students
Reading it is one thing - feeling and palpating is another.
Plus, you will need a willing partner who is willing to be poked, pushed, yanked, twisted, etc.
also, you need lots of practice feeling what is normal (in all types of body in both types of sexes) before you will realize that something is abnormal
Anyway, call the various schools (PCOM, UMDNJ-SOM, VCOM are closest to delaware) to see if they have any programs for visiting students
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michigan state, unecom and the aao have courses that allows lcme students to attend
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Biryani,
Perhaps read up on the theory a bit, call an osteopath, express your interest, and ask if he'd teach you a few things. You'd probably have to call around a bit since many DOs don't practice manipulation and could quite possibly do more harm than good in trying to remember how to. Many (as you've caught a glimpse of from a post or two here) also jealously guard OMM; it's regarded by some as a trade secret.
A lot of the procedures are things you could learn to do in a week or two of shadowing. We have one class and three hour lab per week here, and even those who don't practice outside of class do have some level of competence even after only a quarter and a half. If you found a DO who was willing to teach and you had, as others have mentioned, willing victims at home, you could be proficient in the really basic things by the time you started school.
Good luck with your search! Let us know how it goes; I've a particular interest in OMM outside of osteopathic practice and would love to hear what you find.
Perhaps read up on the theory a bit, call an osteopath, express your interest, and ask if he'd teach you a few things. You'd probably have to call around a bit since many DOs don't practice manipulation and could quite possibly do more harm than good in trying to remember how to. Many (as you've caught a glimpse of from a post or two here) also jealously guard OMM; it's regarded by some as a trade secret.
A lot of the procedures are things you could learn to do in a week or two of shadowing. We have one class and three hour lab per week here, and even those who don't practice outside of class do have some level of competence even after only a quarter and a half. If you found a DO who was willing to teach and you had, as others have mentioned, willing victims at home, you could be proficient in the really basic things by the time you started school.
Good luck with your search! Let us know how it goes; I've a particular interest in OMM outside of osteopathic practice and would love to hear what you find.
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Well, that's ridiculous. Anything that can help relieve the suffering of the human race should be fair game, IMHO.
I echo the thoughts of the others....you really do need to be under supervision and you need to practice a fair amount to get good enought at OMM to really see results. It takes a lot of time, and is not something you can do in a summer program, and you will not likely have time while you are in school. You might want to take some classes in massage therapy and learn some good soft tissue techniques over the summer--that would certainly make you popular with your classmates!
Best of luck to you, Biryani, and I hope you find a way to learn OMM. By the way, I have an uncle who is an old-school MD who always used to call DOs quacks. I guess time and age have softened him, because he's said he's proud of me and wishes me the best in medical school.
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I've heard of ppl doing "shadowing" of OMT professionals after they are a practicing MD. There are many things you can learn. Maybe you won't use all of them...but maybe some.
Anyway, maybe you should do it after you get your MD. Understand though, that you will not be licensed in any way to perform osteopathic manipulative treatments as an MD (as far as I'm aware) and I don't know that you could ever get paid for doing it. It is not something that DO's do for fun, it's part of our curriculum.
Good luck!
Anyway, maybe you should do it after you get your MD. Understand though, that you will not be licensed in any way to perform osteopathic manipulative treatments as an MD (as far as I'm aware) and I don't know that you could ever get paid for doing it. It is not something that DO's do for fun, it's part of our curriculum.
Good luck!
Sophie--I like your suggestion about learning soft-tissue massage. Perhaps trying to cram OMM into a summer is too ambitious, and I hope I haven't insulted any DOs practicing OMM by suggesting otherwise. Thanks for the great suggestion.
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I don't have any suggestions for you Biryani, but I just wanted to say that's it's awesome that your interested in OMM and if it were up to me, I would give all MD's the option to learn it. Good luck!
