Incorporating a Mandatory Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) curriculum in clinical clerkships: impact on student attitudes toward using OMM.

CONTEXT

As the osteopathic medical profession grows and enrollment in osteopathic graduate medical education falls, it is important to ensure that all osteopathic medical students receive adequate training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).

OBJECTIVE

To determine if incorporating mandatory exposure to OMM into third- and fourth-year clinical clerkships favorably influences osteopathic medical students' comfort with the use of OMM.

METHODS

All participants attended a 1-hour mandatory didactic lecture and a 3-hour practical clinic every week as part of their rotations at Wilson Memorial Medical Center. The authors distributed 2 hardcopy questionnaires to each subject: the first survey before rotations began and the second at the end of rotations. The survey comprised 7 clinical situations to which students used a visual analog scale ranging from "comfortable" to "uncomfortable" to describe their personal comfort with using OMM in each situation. Students' responses before and after rotations were compared using the paired t test.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight students had rotations at the clinic; 50 students completed both questionnaires. The study demonstrated a statistically significant increase in comfort level of 17.9% (P<.001) after the rotations.

CONCLUSIONS

Students' reported levels of comfort with OMM increased after they underwent formal OMM education. Incorporating exposure to an OMM curriculum may help instill a greater sense of identity as a future osteopathic physician and may influence participation in an osteopathic residency.