Schools that *emphasize* OMM

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I wondered if you guys could help me work out a list of DO schools that emphasize OMM (or MD schools that offer it as an elective).

My hope is to apply to schools that attract students who specifically are there because they enjoy hands-on care. I feel like OMM would be my favorite part of med school and I'd hate to be in a cohort that was just shining it on. From reading on here, it sounds like there's a range even within DO schools, and maybe some have a stronger reputation for it than others?

 

[HH Holmes]

I wondered if you guys could help me work out a list of DO schools that emphasize OMM (or MD schools that offer it as an elective).

My hope is to apply to schools that attract students who specifically are there because they enjoy hands-on care. I feel like OMM would be my favorite part of med school and I'd hate to be in a cohort that was just shining it on. From reading on here, it sounds like there's a range even within DO schools, and maybe some have a stronger reputation for it than others?

NSU is big on it, also have an optional fellowship year before M3.

 

[Mad Jack]

They're huge on OMM at UNECOM, and also offer an anatomy/OMM fellowship that takes a year off of your tuition if you're willing to do it and are selected.

 

[pageantry]

They're huge on OMM at UNECOM, and also offer an anatomy/OMM fellowship that takes a year off of your tuition if you're willing to do it and are selected.

What what whaaaat? That's exciting! I wonder how hard it is to get? Tuition be damned.

 

[Mad Jack]

What what whaaaat? That's exciting! I wonder how hard it is to get? Tuition be damned.

It's fairly competitive, from what I hear. Gets you research and teaching experience though, it's pretty awesome.

 

[ortnakas]

When I interviewed at AZCOM they mentioned a similar program.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

I heard that MUCOM is pretty big into it - at least thats the feel I got at my interview.

 

[chemicalbull]

ACOM is pretty high on OMM as well.

 

[referee3]

PCOM has a very strong OMM program. The professors there literally wrote the current book on manipulative medicine.

And almost every DO school offers an extra year long omm fellowship.

 

[GUH]

I wondered if you guys could help me work out a list of DO schools that emphasize OMM (or MD schools that offer it as an elective).

My hope is to apply to schools that attract students who specifically are there because they enjoy hands-on care. I feel like OMM would be my favorite part of med school and I'd hate to be in a cohort that was just shining it on. From reading on here, it sounds like there's a range even within DO schools, and maybe some have a stronger reputation for it than others?

No matter which school you attend, you are likely to find some students who truly want to learn OMM and some students who don't. If you were at COMP and in the first group then I'd suggest joining our SAAO chapter and being as active as possible in any OMM clinics they organize.
OMM fellowships are competitive at COMP-Pomona but it's achievable.

 

[racerwad]

This is a great question. I wish I had known this as I was applying.

COMP offers a 5th year fellowship that most schools also have. I think what should be mentioned is how omm is integrated in the curriculum (for better or for worse). COMP adds a 40 hour cranial week that I hear other schools don't have to suffer through (I mean, be enriched by...) along with an omm rotation as a required clerkship as a third year. at COMP, this is in addition to a required clerkship in FM. if you aren't careful, this could result in a ton of outpatient clinics as a third year. No Bueno.

 

[pageantry]

I really appreciate everyone's help here. I'm going to be honest and hope that I don't get called a troll. I really want to be a medical doctor but I have a background in massage and holism and really don't want to lose to joy of healing the way so many medical students seem to. I'm pro-vaccines, love science, pretty unsure about cranial (TBH) and think homeopathy is hella dum. But hands on care is just such a joy.

Do you think it's delusional to hope that a good OMM-oriented school would keep that joy alive? Or should I just assume that medical school will crush all that's hopeful in my naive wee heart? I probably shouldn't have starred the recent "I left medical school" threads but I actually know four people personally who did (leave MD school) and I'm nervous.

 

[NVO]

The DO I shadowed said that ATSU Kirksville was pretty big on OMM. She also talked about how they started OMM in the first semester, which was good because no one knew each other and everyone became closer as a group. Whereas if the school starts OMM say second semester or later on, there are already friend groups, cliques, people who like and don't like each other, etc. Something to think about.

 

[Mad Jack]

I really appreciate everyone's help here. I'm going to be honest and hope that I don't get called a troll. I really want to be a medical doctor but I have a background in massage and holism and really don't want to lose to joy of healing the way so many medical students seem to. I'm pro-vaccines, love science, pretty unsure about cranial (TBH) and think homeopathy is hella dum. But hands on care is just such a joy.

Do you think it's delusional to hope that a good OMM-oriented school would keep that joy alive? Or should I just assume that medical school will crush all that's hopeful in my naive wee heart? I probably shouldn't have starred the recent "I left medical school" threads but I actually know four people personally who did (leave MD school) and I'm nervous.

We've got plenty of OMM faculty that have OMM-heavy practices outside the school. Working with people like that, and putting in extra time in OMM clinic, can certainly keep your love of manual medicine alive.

Cool thing about UNECOM's fellowship is that it isn't a fifth year after year 2- you can do it several ways, with six months in third year and six months in fourth year, between third and fourth year, or after fourth year, if I remember correctly. Fellows are also heavily involved in the anatomy lab and teach the different pods, plus do most of our OMM group lectures, teach radiology, and teach history and physical technique and skills. It's really an awesome program, I'd be quite interested in it if I weren't so averse to spending another year in the anatomy lab.

 

[s5260205]

I really appreciate everyone's help here. I'm going to be honest and hope that I don't get called a troll. I really want to be a medical doctor but I have a background in massage and holism and really don't want to lose to joy of healing the way so many medical students seem to. I'm pro-vaccines, love science, pretty unsure about cranial (TBH) and think homeopathy is hella dum. But hands on care is just such a joy.

Do you think it's delusional to hope that a good OMM-oriented school would keep that joy alive? Or should I just assume that medical school will crush all that's hopeful in my naive wee heart? I probably shouldn't have starred the recent "I left medical school" threads but I actually know four people personally who did (leave MD school) and I'm nervous.

You should shadow a physician or work/volunteer in a clinical setting to observe what physicians really do and decide for yourself if it is something you would be willing to invest in tremendous amount of efforts and money. While being interested in OMM is by no means detrimental, I doubt it is sufficient to carry you throughout 4 years of medical schools if that is your sole interest since OMM is such a small subset of what you will be learning. Some of people who drop out from medical schools were either not well informed about the reality of medicine, had delusions about what medicine would be like, or had insufficient motivations (e.g. doing it for the money). For admissions purpose regardless, you will need to justify your reasoning for pursuing medicine, and it will be beneficial for you to have first-hand experience observing physicians at work.

 

[pageantry]

You should shadow a physician or work/volunteer in a clinical setting to observe what physicians really do and decide for yourself if it is something you would be willing to invest in tremendous amount of efforts and money. While being interested in OMM is by no means detrimental, I doubt it is sufficient to carry you throughout 4 years of medical schools if that is your sole interest since OMM is such a small subset of what you will be learning. Some of people who drop out from medical schools were either not well informed about the reality of medicine, had delusions about what medicine would be like, or had insufficient motivations (e.g. doing it for the money). For admissions purpose regardless, you will need to justify your reasoning for pursuing medicine, and it will be beneficial for you to have first-hand experience observing physicians at work.

I have done both, but I still haven't found an OMM-heavy doctor to shadow. I do think I have (some) perspective on what medicine can be and how I'd like to work, but one is always limited in one's shadowing opportunities. It feels like there are a lot of ways to practice out there. Or I hope so.

 

[burritowithgreensauce]

I wondered if you guys could help me work out a list of DO schools that emphasize OMM (or MD schools that offer it as an elective).

My hope is to apply to schools that attract students who specifically are there because they enjoy hands-on care. I feel like OMM would be my favorite part of med school and I'd hate to be in a cohort that was just shining it on. From reading on here, it sounds like there's a range even within DO schools, and maybe some have a stronger reputation for it than others?

The goal of OMM is to create a list of tools that you can incorporate into your practice. It is not the end-all-be-all to medicine. The moment you start thinking like that, there is no turning back. You have drank the kool-aid. You will learn valuable skills in omm, but don't be fooled by faculty. Take what is valuable to you and move on with life (and no it is not ALL b/s).

Your goal is to pass classes. Perform on boards. and Excel at rotations. everything else (including OMM is semantics). Truth be told most of the people at my school that does the fellowship - obviously they are going to deny it - are doing it because of the tuition break.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Even though KCU is one of the original 5 schools it's pretty lax on the OMM thing right now IMHO. They don't ram it down our throats.

DMU was pretty big on it when I interviewed there.

 

[pageantry]

Yeah I'm not trying to be a naturopath; both my parents have/had cancer. Medical science is a wonderful thing.

But if I were studying to be a DO that's exactly what I'd like to be, not a misplaced MD. These DO schools that downplay OMM are kinda sad to me, bc the history of osteopathy is pretty cool. My kinda ppl. Wanna get with that. If it still exists.

 

[kinzav]

ATSU KCOM is pretty heavy on OMM. Great teachers, but I'd say the nice thing is they know you have other stuff to study that are probably more rigorous, so the assignments and tests are usually easy. I'd say it's very rare for someone to fail OMM (though there are tests, practicals, and assignments you have to deal with between your block exams). Also, KCOM's fellowship covers tuition and gives you whatever rotation site you want, without subjecting yourself to the lottery. I believe you need an 85 in the course to get the fellowship though (not sure if it's 85 in everything or just the course you wanna be a fellow in, we offer Med Ed, Anatomy, and OMM, I think that's all of them, with 3 or 4 per group).

 

[ortnakas]

Certain faculty at my school very much emphasize OMM, and it comes up a little bit in H&P, but technically we only see it one day a week. The SAAO officers and other people who are very much into OMM seem satisfied.

Anyone else confused by a pro-OMM thread?

 

[Oo Cipher oO]

But if I were studying to be a DO that's exactly what I'd like to be, not a misplaced MD. These DO schools that downplay OMM are kinda sad to me, bc the history of osteopathy is pretty cool. My kinda ppl. Wanna get with that. If it still exists.

It certainly exists and is there for the interested DO student to excel at. If you are interested there are AOA yearly conferences and OMM specific conferences that you can travel to and find like minded individuals. Every DO student needs to know the basics in order to pass the boards but I don't fault my fellow classmates that don't care to use OMM into their future practices. I also don't fault students who want to go beyond the basics and focus or dedicate themselves to OMM. I'm somewhere in the middle. I like OMM and have a good feel for it and I plan on using in my future FM practice but I didn't apply for the fellowship or seek out any additional training.

I think WesternU COMP has a pretty solid OMM training. I felt comfortable enough to do some OMM on my own on my elective outpatient medicine with MD preceptors. The OMM required rotation can be kind of a drag on 3rd year, however. I would't mind them revising the criteria a bit and adding more FM docs that also do OMM instead of the hardcore OMM only preceptors. Then again you can see how some of these docs are able to make quite a nice living on OMM alone .

 

[Mr Kenobi]

Having a heavy focus on OMM and having a good OMM curriculum are 2 totally different animals IMO. Do your research and talk to a bunch of students from the programs you may be interested in.