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Osteopathy Programs and Prerequisites

The OAoPO is the only Osteopathy school in Canada that fully complies with the WHO guidelines for Osteopathic education.

We have two osteopathy program offerings, including the Non-Practitioner and Practitioner streams.

  1. Non-Practitioner Program (Type 1 Program in accordance with WHO)
    The OAoPO Non-Practitioner Program is open to anyone without a previous healthcare background.
  2. Practitioner Program (Type 2 Program in accordance with WHO)
    The OAoPO Practitioner Program is open to anyone with the following healthcare backgrounds:
    • Chiropractic
    • Naturopath
    • Physiotherapy
    • Athletic Therapy
    • Occupational therapy**
    • Medical Doctor**
    • Nurse**
    • Massage Therapy*
    • Acupuncture*

* = Will be required to take some of the health science credits to participate in the practitioner program.

** = Will be required to take some palpation and hands-on training to participate in the practitioner program.

Non-Practitioner Program

The Non-Practitioner Program is a full-time program oriented towards non-therapists wishing to graduate from a program compliant with document produced by the World Health Organization titled "Benchmarks for Training in Osteopathy". The OAoPO curriculum abides by the CEN document on osteopathic education, an updated version of the original guidelines in the WHO document, and the Canadian Standards which were adapted from the CEN document.

The full-time program is a combination of health science credits provided by Queens University as well as the courses involved in the Practitioner Program. Additional courses help bridge the gap between the two groups that make up the OAoPO student body: practitioners and non-practitioners.

Practitioner Program

All students in the Osteopathy program must fulfill a mandated number of clinical training hours to be compliant with the WHO Document mentioned above, as well as the Canadian Standards. The following are guidelines for required clinical hours for various healthcare disciplines:

  • Physiotherapy: 550 hours
  • Athletic Therapy: 600 hours
  • Chiropractor: 550 hours
  • Naturopath: 750 hours
  • Medical Doctor: 750 hours
  • Occupational Therapy: 1000 hours
  • Massage Therapy: 800 hours
  • Acupuncture: 1000 hours

Practitioner Program Requirements

  • Attend clinical activities including student clinic, and clinical synthesis
  • Observation hours in an osteopathic practice, 6-8 days per year
  • Complete every Osteopathic module per academic year
  • Complete Functional Neurology, modules 1-3 (module 4 optional)
  • Complete all Pathophysiology modules
  • Complete research course and capstone project

What you need to apply to OAoPO

  • $150.00 processing fee (non-refundable)
  • Complete the application form

Once your application has been reviewed, you will be asked to provide:

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