Osteopathic Principles and Practice
The Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP) is a collegium of physicians, academicians, ancillary health providers, and undergraduate Fellows who are dedicated to the preservation and teaching of the history and philosophy of osteopathic medicine as developed by Andrew Taylor Still, M.D., D.O., and to the dynamic advancement of osteopathic medicine in the 21st century.
The OPP faculty includes practitioners certified in Pediatrics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Family Medicine, Sports Medicine, Cranial Osteopathy, Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine, Neurophysiology, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, and Psychology. The Department delivers instruction in Osteopathic Medicine to the Year 1 and Year 2 medical students, and educational programs to Year 3 and Year 4 medical students, such as Come Home Day, where M3 and M4 students return to campus to participate in live and in-person, hands-on sessions including case presentations where osteopathic manipulative treatment diagnosis and treatment skills are practiced, performed, and honed. The OPP department offers clinical shadowing experiences for 4th-year osteopathic medical students as an elective rotation, College of Osteopathic Medicine M1 and M2 osteopathic medical students, NSU undergraduate students from the Clinical Exploration program, NSU University School fellowship students, sports medicine fellows, and international students.
The Department runs two outpatient clinics and is actively involved in research. Also offered is a one year Predoctoral OPP Fellowship to osteopathic students who are interested in the development of advanced skills in manipulative medicine. Department members lecture on international, national, state, and local levels, and are strongly involved in the preparation of national board examinations. The OPP Department is also heavily involved in national and international community service.
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