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Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP)
The OPP Department is a dynamic team of physicians, academicians, and healthcare providers committed to preserving and advancing osteopathic medicine. Our expert faculty specializes in Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Sports Medicine, Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Psychology, and more.
Hands-On Learning & Clinical Experiences
We provide interactive, hands-on training in osteopathic medicine for Year 1 and Year 2 students. Year 3 and Year 4 students participate in advanced programs like Come Home Day, where they refine their osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) skills through live case presentations and hands-on sessions.
Students at various levels can take advantage of clinical shadowing opportunities, including:
- M1 & M2 students
- 4th-year elective rotations
- NSU undergraduate Clinical Exploration students
- NSU University School fellowship students
- Sports medicine fellows
- International trainees
Research, Clinics and Fellowship
The department operates two outpatient clinics, conducts cutting-edge osteopathic research, and offers a one-year Predoctoral OPP Fellowship for students seeking advanced OMT expertise. Faculty also play a key role in national board exam preparation and frequently present at international, national, and state conferences.
Our Goals
- To educate students and faculty about the history and philosophy of osteopathic medicine
- To familiarize students with the concepts of wellness, health, and preventive medicine
- To familiarize students with the concepts of disease and a return to wellness
- To educate students in the biomechanical and neurophysiologic functions of the human body
- To expose students to common syndromes seen by the primary care physician as well as the OMM specialist and the sports medicine specialist
- To promote competency in the delivery of manipulative treatments with modalities including muscle energy, counterstrain, high velocity low amplitude technique, articulatory techniques, myofascial release and osteopathy in the cranial field
- To provide training to students and residents in the subspecialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine
- To provide instruction to students seeking advanced training in manipulative medicine
- To actively participate in the development of osteopathic research and knowledge on a national and international level
- To actively promote osteopathic medicine on local, national and international levels
Our Programs
Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (NMM) provides instruction in the history and philosophy of osteopathic medicine, biomechanics, and function of the neuromusculoskeletal system structural diagnosis, and manipulative medicine techniques. The Osteopathic Principles and Practice faculty assist M4 students in integrating OPP and OMT skills into all aspects of medical practice. A two-week or one-month rotation is available to fourth-year osteopathic medical students to hone their clinical skills in performing osteopathic structural examinations along with diagnosis and treatment with OMT.
The Predoctoral OPP Fellowship Program is a unique opportunity that is designed to expand the educational and clinical opportunities for selected students. It expands the medical school training period from four to five years by converting the two-year clinical clerkship into a three-year Fellowship. Each Fellow completes a full complement of clinical rotations, in addition to a twelve-month Fellowship period that is incorporated into the rotation schedule.
The Fellows assist in all classroom and practical training activities, as well as the development of, and participation in, research projects. Fellows also provide clinical services under the supervision of faculty members. A Fellowship Certificate is awarded upon completion of the program. For further information, contact fellowship directors, Patrick Barry, D.O. (Fort Lauderdale Campus), Nathan Widboom, D.O.(Fort Lauderdale Campus), and/or Holly Waters, D.O.(Tampa Bay Regional Campus).
Osteopathic Principles and Practice Department Research Activities
We are committed to advancing the understanding of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) as a treatment technique and to understanding how best to train future osteopathic physicians in this skill. To this end, all our faculty members and pre-doctoral osteopathic principles and practice fellows are engaged in research, focused on determining mechanisms, and the effects of OMT on the Immune system in collaboration with NSU’s Institute of Neuro Immune Medicine. We encourage research involvement by interested students both inside and outside of Nova Southeastern University.
Each year, the Predoctoral OPP Fellows and the Sports Medicine Fellows engage in ongoing research and development projects of their own. All Fellows are given additional training in osteopathic research design, abstract development, and poster presentation development.
The OPP faculty and pre-doctoral osteopathic principles and practice fellows attend the American Academy of Osteopathy Convocation annually, participating in the Louisa Burns Osteopathic Research Committee competition and the A Hollis Wolf research platform presentation competition.
Our research projects include:
- The Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment on the Immune System.