Welcome to Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine!
he Mission of the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine is to provide medical education and research that prepares globally minded, community-focused physicians and to improve the health of those most in need.
Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM, also referred to as Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (NMM) by the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine) is the medical specialty which is concerned the integration of osteopathic principles, practice and manipulative treatment in patient care. The focus of this specialty is on the neuromusculoskeletal systems and their relationships with every other system in the body, including, but not limited to, cardiac, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, endocrine, reproductive, genitourinary, dermatologic, vascular, lymphatic, psychologic, ophthalmologic, ENT, and rheumatologic systems.
Goals for the Osteopathic Medical Student:
- Develop the ability to perform a patient-centered interview and treatment plan
- Develop and use an integrated (biopsychosocial) approach to clinical reasoning
- Continue to develop the responsibilities of being humanistic, professional, ethical, dutiful, compassionate, altruistic and knowledgeable
- Improve self understanding in patient interactions
- Experience OMM/NMM in a realistic environment
- Understand how a practice functions through interaction with office staff and paramedical personnel; develop and utilize the team approach to enhance medical care
- Promote patient education and disease prevention and the enhancement of overall health
- Apply osteopathic philosophy and manipulative practice to enhance patient care
- Apply knowledge of basic and clinical sciences to patient care
- Analyze clinical data and consider patient and family preferences
- Investigate and evaluate patient care practices, appraise and assimilate scientific evidence and improve patient care practices
- Learn to provide optimal, cost effective care
- Recognize the cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors that affect healthcare
- Become an advocate for your patients
- Become an advocate and proud example for your osteopathic profession