Nov 23, 2024
OHIO University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine 2021-2022

OCOM 7923 - Primary Care Associateship in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and Family Medicine


The Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine and Family Medicine Associateship is a one year program designed to provide interested osteopathic medical students an opportunity to serve as adjunct faculty to the Departments of Family Medicine and OMM, engaged in teaching, scholarly activity and clinical medicine. The goal of the associateship is to promote interest in osteopathic medical education and research by enhancing the development of teaching and understanding of osteopathic clinical skills. Associates will have the opportunity to improve upon these skills in several capacities as they serve as individual mentors, tutors, lab leaders, group facilitators and class lecturers. In order to increase skills in teaching and scholarly activity, associates may utilize individual mentoring, classes, or seminars in which they learn effective teaching techniques, facilitation skills, research methodology and organizational skills.

Course Outcomes
  • Apply the concepts of diagnosis and management to the patient encounter.
  • Assist in the teaching activities of the Departments of Family Medicine and OMM.
  • Clarify and set specific learning objectives with the clinical preceptor(s).
  • Complete the NBOME Item Writing 101 course, then develop basic test items to measure expected cognitive competencies in a specific content area.
  • Construct a research proposal and, with consultation, apply appropriate statistical techniques to research data.
  • Construct goals and meaningful, measurable objectives for specific content in the curriculum.
  • Demonstrate efficient use of time for treatment and documentation.
  • Demonstrate expanded knowledge of different techniques used to treat the range of patient problems encountered.
  • Demonstrate improved history-taking, physical examination, palpatory and diagnostic skills.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of anatomy, physiology and body mechanics.
  • Demonstrate understanding and application of fundamental principles in Osteopathy.
  • Demonstrate understanding and application of somato-somatic, viscero-somatic, and somato-visceral interactions along with common patterns of somatic dysfunction.
  • Describe evaluation mechanisms in use at Heritage College, including the basic principles of subjective and objective evaluation, and the basic rationale for their usage.
  • Describe the basic steps in preparation/presentation/coordination, along with advantages and disadvantages, of the most common didactic and clinical teaching methods utilized at Heritage College.
  • Discuss a broader knowledge base of Osteopathic Principles and Practice through teaching, treating and participating in other learning environments.
  • Experiment with and learn new treatment techniques, including OMM skills, as well as improve upon techniques already learned.
  • Explain the proper usage of educational media and materials.
  • Explore practice management issues through readings and discussions with your preceptors.
  • Explore the concept of continuity of care both longitudinally through a primary care practice as well as across numerous locales of care (ER, hospital, outpatient, nursing home, hospice).
  • Formulate clear and testable research hypotheses.
  • Identify a meaningful and realistic problem to utilize as the basis of a scholarly project.
  • If a non-research project is chosen, the above steps should be modified to be congruent with the scholarly activity chosen by the Associate.
  • Interpret and critically evaluate research findings and incorporate them into a literature review.
  • Interpret and evaluate, with consultation, research data.
  • Perform procedures as appropriate to level of experience as determined by preceptor.
  • Use appropriate principles of research design and methodology for a research project, with consultation.
  • Use appropriate research strategies and tools to construct a thorough review of the literature relevant to the research project.
  • Write a clear, organized and coherent paper which presents, in publishable form, the salient details of a research project, including a critical review of the literature.


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