Hands-on care: Why the osteopathic medical profession should encourage MDs to learn to provide OMT

I have previously written for The DO about the need for all of us to become more engaged in “flying the banner of osteopathy,” whether through teaching at your local osteopathically recognized residency program, engaging at the state and national level to promote the benefits of osteopathic medicine, or working with medical students to demonstrate how you practice as an osteopathic physician in your specialty.

Osteopathic medicine’s philosophy and hands-on approach have long intrigued our allopathic colleagues. More MDs and MD students are seeking opportunities to integrate osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and the osteopathic philosophy of care into their clinical practice, recognizing the value of a holistic, patient-centered approach. To truly expand osteopathic medicine’s reach, we must create accessible training pathways for MDs and MD students. But where can they turn to gain these skills? Collaboration across disciplines and throughout the profession is essential to expanding osteopathic education opportunities.

Hands-on learning experiences

Several organizations now offer courses tailored specifically for MDs interested in osteopathic techniques. Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) offers comprehensive courses emphasizing practical, hands-on learning. Their programs are designed to provide MDs and other licensed clinicians with a solid foundation in osteopathic principles while fostering the critical thinking skills necessary to apply OMT effectively.

A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM) has an Introduction to OMM for MDs and DOs course. Other introductory courses include Introduction to Osteopathic Manipulation and Its Principles, as well as Introduction to the Osteopathic Approach to the Nursing Dyad, both offered by Osteopathy’s Promise to Children (OPC). Please note that I have taught some of the OPC courses.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Family Medicine & Community Health has a course called OMT4MD, which, along with their OMT preceptor course, allows their residents to learn how to use OMT in their family medicine training. The Cleveland Academy of Osteopathic Medicine (CAOM) has a Musculoskeletal Manipulation course for physicians with little or no prior experience. I’m sure there are many more that I didn’t come across in my research (which is a problem!).

These are great opportunities for practicing MDs to learn how to incorporate a hands-on approach to their patients. Many of these courses also provide a philosophical foundation to help clinicians understand how and when to use OMT. From personal experience teaching at OPC, I know that many of these MDs come to the courses already interested in our patient-centered, health-focused approach. But what about MD students? What opportunities exist for them to channel their training to align with osteopathic principles and practice, especially regarding OMT?

Online resources

Many online platforms like Lecturio, OnlineMedEd and OMMEducation provide accessible, self-paced learning options for students. These resources help MD students familiarize themselves with osteopathic philosophy and techniques before committing to more intensive, hands-on training. But no one, I hope, would want someone with only video training to attempt to use OMT. Students need hands-on opportunities to learn, just as practicing MDs have. By embracing osteopathic techniques, MDs can offer their patients a broader range of treatment options while adopting a more holistic osteopathic approach to health care.

Embracing collaboration

As the demand for osteopathic care continues to grow, seeing more training opportunities for MDs and MD students eager to explore osteopathic medicine is encouraging. Whether through hands-on workshops, online courses or medical school electives, the doors to osteopathic education are more open than ever. But we can do better.

I recognize that this openness to share our osteopathic approach can be scary to some readers. I too have struggled with how best to create opportunities for our MD colleagues without watering down our philosophy. I certainly agree that osteopathic philosophy is more than OMT, but I also remember the approach taken by A.T. Still, MD, DO, who described his goal as improving on the practice of medicine as it was practiced in that day.

The future of medicine lies in collaboration and integration. By providing MDs with the tools to understand and apply osteopathic principles, we can bridge the gap between allopathic and osteopathic medicine, ultimately benefiting patients and health care systems. The journey to incorporating OMT begins with education. Let’s take the lead in offering mentorship, resources and practical experience to MDs eager to embrace osteopathic care. We must encourage our MD colleagues to dig in.

Related reading:

How adopting OMT can improve both patient outcomes and physician satisfaction

How DOs can help their patients process trauma