Research Database -
International Updates

Osteopathy

Issue 23

SINGER, Research and Information Services, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Rockville MD USA analysed the selection of the medical specialty chosen to pursue in postgraduate training by graduating seniors from osteopathic medical schools in 1995. RESULTS: The author found that the speciality training chosen was considerably influenced by 10 common factors, ranging from the students' orientation toward people or techniques, to the prestige and income associated with the particular specialty. In students planning to pursue primary care specialities - Family Practice, General Internal Medicine, General Paediatrics - the People orientation factor exerted a strong influence upon students. For students planning to pursue a nonprimary care specialty, factors influencing their decision included the Prestige/income, Intellectual Content and Research Factors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this analysis have implications for the medical school admissions process, which could be used to identify students who relate well to people and are more oriented to preventive medicine and health problems presented by individual patients. This could become a greater force in the movement toward generalism in medicine.
Singer AM. In pursuit of generalism: basic factors influencing the specialty decisions of osteopathic medical school seniors in 1995. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 96(11): 699-703. Nov 1996.

MUSSER and VINN, Department of Family Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Pomona, CA USA review (46 references) the strengths of traditional osteopathic medical education. RESULTS and CONCLUSIONS: The authors identify principles that managed care organisations have identified as essential to preparing physicians to succeed in the medical marketplace and discuss the advantages of incorporating the best principles of managed care into osteopathic medical education. A strategy and outline integrating these principles into undergraduate education, proposed by the Department of Family Medicine at their Osteopathic College is presented.
Musser AE and Vinn N. Osteopathic medical education: the introduction of managed care principles into our undergraduate curriculum. J Am Osteopath Assoc 96(10): 627-30. Oct 1996.

COMMENTS: As many Positive Health readers are aware, in the USA the professions of Chiropractic, Osteopathy and Naturopathy are considered and treated very much on a par with conventional (allopathic) medical schools. The training provided in these professions follows closely that of medical schools and payment reimbursement is provided by most insurance providers. This appears also to be happening in the UK, although the options for types of practice are obviously not as diverse yet as in America.