Starting your own private practice is a great goal to have in mind for your career as an osteopathic manual practitioner. It affords you the freedom to develop your own schedule, build a better rapport with patients, choose your coworkers, and make more decisions about how the workplace is run. 

Many of our graduates at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy go on to make that dream a reality. Along with extensive, principles-based osteopathy training, we encourage those students with lifelong career support after graduation. Students that choose CAO are driven to receive the highest standards of osteopathy education in Canada and, upon graduation, are confident and fully prepared to enter the field in their preferred osteopathic care environment. 

If you’re committed to building your own private practice, it’s never too early to prepare. Here are some tips to get you started! 

1. Get Inspiration From Others at Our Osteopathy School

CAO offers much more than osteopathic education. Our osteopathy school is an endless resource that can guide and support you throughout your training and well into your career. This starts in the classroom with our experienced instructors. Through small class sizes that allow for more personalized attention, you’ll learn from professionals who are actively working as osteopathic manual practitioners–many of whom have started and continue to run their own private practices. Those experts can serve as a great resource to inspire your own career path, offering tips and advice from their own experiences in the field.

Students also have access to shadowing opportunities, where you can see different graduates in private practices to get an idea of how you might like to set up your own after graduation. This is on top of the clinical training you’ll receive, where you’ll work under the guidance of upper-year students and develop the confidence necessary to be a professional in the clinical environment. Each of these experiences offers valuable, first-hand insights that you can translate to your own private practice.

2. Network With Professionals in Your Industry

Networking is a good practice for aspiring professionals in any industry. If you’re looking to become an osteopathic manual practitioner with your own private practice, take the time to connect with other professionals who have followed the same path. CAO has dedicated time and resources to creating and building connections with leaders of the highest standards in osteopathy to make our profession stronger, more respected, and increasingly effective. 

CAO graduates are eligible to apply for entry into OSTCAN, which has provincial affiliates across Canada. This can be a great resource for connecting with professionals in the osteopathy industry across Canada.

Beyond this, take advantage of CAO’s close-knit campus community and make the effort to connect with your fellow students, alumni, and instructors. You never know what kind of advice or support they can offer down the line when it’s time to start your own private practice. 

3. Build a Positive Rapport With New Patients

The success of any healthcare practice depends on the satisfaction and loyalty of its patients. 

When starting your own private practice, you should focus on developing good working relationships with your patients so they are more likely to return for treatments and recommend your services to their friends. But you can begin implementing this practice from the very start of your osteopathy career–and even during your training at CAO. 

During our clinical experience, you’ll get firsthand experience treating real-life patients in our free public clinic. Patients in the community come to the clinic for assessments or ongoing care, giving students the opportunity to develop clinical skills and client relationships in an environment that benefits all. Here you’ll take the lead on real osteopathy treatments, delivering real results to real patients and fostering relationships in the process. With extensive practice in building a positive rapport with patients, you’ll be ready to create a private practice that clients trust and value.  

Are you interested in learning more about our osteopathy academy?

Contact the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy to start your career!

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Are you deciding on a new career path? Are you looking for a rewarding specialization in the healthcare sector? A career in osteopathy could be right for you! Working as an osteopathic manual practitioner is a dynamic role where you’ll interact directly with patients to help them overcome a number of physical challenges. You’ll apply your knowledge of osteopathic principles, theory and techniques to strengthen the framework of the body, providing a non-invasive, manual form of treatment to clients. 

The Canadian Academy of Osteopathy is here to set you on the path to success with a comprehensive four-year program. Whether you’re looking to switch up your career in healthcare or have no experience in the field at all, osteopathy school can bring a new specialization to your future. Learn more below.

Enjoy Working in a Hands-on Profession 

Many people are drawn to osteopathy as a way to make an active difference in the lives of others. The hands-on nature of osteopathy is well suited to those who are looking for a more dynamic, practical line of work. As an osteopathic manual practitioner, you’ll work directly with the interrelated systems and functions of the body, focusing on facilitating the health of joints and muscles through manual techniques. 

While working with your hands, you’ll also have the chance to problem-solve to arrive at the best possible treatment for your patients. If you’re looking for a people-oriented profession, osteopathy offers precisely that. Communicating with your patients, learning about their symptoms, and offering personalized treatment plans are all part of the job when you become an osteopathic manual practitioner. Get ready for a career that allows you to take a more hands-on role in helping others.

Develop a Specialized Skillset in the Healthcare Field

Working as an osteopathic manual practitioner is a challenging and rewarding job that requires advanced knowledge. If you’re thinking about changing careers, you might be looking to develop more precise expertise and specialized skills. An osteopathic manual practitioner needs a solid understanding of clinical anatomy and physiology, osteopathic principles and theories, and practical techniques.

At our osteopathy school, we focus on teaching principles-based, classical osteopathy.  By focusing on the theory and application of these principles, students gain a comprehensive understanding of anatomy and physiology so that they can treat the layers of bodily structure on an individual level. Not to mention, you’ll get first-hand experience treating real-life patients in our free public clinic. 

For those looking to develop their expertise in a specialized area of healthcare, our osteopathy school is the place for you. 

A Flexible Program to Support Your Osteopathy Career Advancement

For many people, switching careers can be a daunting process. It requires time and commitment to training. At the same time, you may have other personal and professional responsibilities to keep. 

That’s why CAO offers a flexible program in order to accommodate students who are already working full-time but are seeking a career transition. The combination of online and in-person classes makes training that much easier; students attend in person once a month for intensive hands-on training, while online lecture days are grouped for easy scheduling. 

At CAO, we also understand that osteopathy is a brand new language and a new way of thinking for everyone, even if they already have a healthcare background. For those without a healthcare background, our Prep course is designed to bring you up to speed on essential anatomy knowledge. While adjusting to a full course load can be a challenge, there are plenty of support systems available for students at our campus, including access to a Student Success Coordinator and a faculty passionate about the success of their students.

Ready to get started on your osteopathy career advancement?

Contact the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy today!

The post Looking to Change Careers? Why Osteopathy School Is a Great Option appeared first on Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.

Here at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy, we are experts in guiding students toward successful careers as osteopathic manual practitioners. We offer a comprehensive four-year program that prepares graduates to take up both business and job opportunities across Canada. 

However, we also understand that the road to success isn’t always easy. Many students face challenges throughout their studies, from personal commitments to academic struggles to financial pressures. Luckily, the community at CAO is here to help through hands-on instructors, student support services, a flexible learning format, and more. Keep reading to learn more about the resources that are available to help you navigate your osteopathy training.

Hands-on Attention from Our Faculty

Academic support is available in different forms at our osteopathy school. In the classroom, it starts with our team of dedicated instructors who are passionate about what they do and experts in their field. 

Whether you’re examining the principles and theories of osteopathy or applying osteopathic principles in our on-campus clinics, your instructors will be there to answer your questions, review any material, and offer hands-on support. Our small class sizes allow for more individualized attention and academic support from instructors, allowing you to reach the highest level of comprehension possible. 

Outside of the classroom, you’ll also have access to our Student Success Coordinator, who can discuss any challenges you may have with the coursework or nature of the program. 

Tutoring from Upper-Year Students

CAO offers a community-centred learning environment–one in which students work together and support one another at every stage of the program. You’ll not only have the chance to form close connections with your classmates, but you’ll also be able to learn from them. For example, upper-year students regularly act as table tutors in the under-year clinic. In the process, under-year students are able to learn from their peers further along in the program, receive guidance from those who have been in their position, and practice assessing and treating their fellow students. In a safe, supportive environment, you’ll have the freedom to make mistakes, ask questions, and overcome any barriers to your knowledge.

Flexible Scheduling to Suit Your Commitments 

Many students at CAO are already working full-time or part-time. Other students may have personal or family commitments to uphold. Whatever your current circumstances, we want to make the path to becoming an osteopathic manual practitioner as easy as possible. That’s why we offer a flexible, full-time format that allows you to continue working while studying, with added support for those commuting from out of province. Students attend in person once a month for intensive hands-on training, and online lecture days are condensed together for easy scheduling. You can rest assured that you’ll get the training you need while balancing your work and home life.

Financial Assistance at Our Osteopathy School

We understand that school comes as a major financial burden for most people. However, your training is also a valuable investment in your future as an osteopathic manual practitioner, and we want to reduce the challenges that come with it. As a small college, we are able to give personalized advice to each student to help them identify opportunities for financial assistance. 

At both our Hamilton and Calgary campuses, the CAO is proud to announce that students enrolled in the M.OMSc program may be eligible for loans, grants, or awards granted under the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Private lending institutions are also very supportive of our students since our tuition is low and our graduate incomes are high.

With the right level of support and guidance, you can progress seamlessly through our program and into your professional career.  

Are you looking to become an osteopathic manual practitioner?

Start your training with the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy today!

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The Canadian Academy of Osteopathy trains students to deliver safe, effective and ethical osteopathic treatments. To do so, our programs aim to meet (and exceed) international standards of education, with over 4200 hours of training that spans both clinical and classroom components. With a growing demand for osteopathic manual practitioners, your osteopathy school diploma will open the door to many work opportunities. 

Graduates enjoy the benefits of both business and job prospects across Canada, whether they intend to stay in Ontario or practice in another province. With CAO, you can rest assured that you’re receiving relevant, comprehensive, and practical osteopathy training to become an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner in Canada.

Below, learn more about how we work to deliver high-quality education in line with international standards. 

Learn from Experienced Professionals at Our Osteopathy College

The quality of our osteopathy program is upheld by experienced and dedicated teaching faculty. At CAO, your classes will be directed by educators who are passionate about what they do and, most importantly, experts in their fields. Our instructors are professionals actively working as osteopathic manual practitioners, many of whom have started and run their own private practice. At CAO, you’ll find a faculty with experience working or training across Canada, Europe, and other parts of the world. 

They are able to bring that breadth of knowledge to classes at our osteopathy academy, providing insights from real patient cases and sharing some of the current trends and practices in the field. Our outstanding teacher-to-student ratio ensures you get the individual attention and academic support you deserve, allowing you to achieve the highest level of comprehension possible. With instructors who are tuned into the industry, students can learn what it takes to become an osteopathic manual practitioner. 

A Curriculum that Covers Both Principles and Practice 

Our school is unique in offering principles-based osteopathy training. What does that mean? You’ll gain expertise in a variety of areas, such as clinical anatomy and physiology, osteopathic history and theory, principles in practice, and more. CAO believes osteopathy must be taught as a profession in and of itself rather than as an ‘add-on’ to other modalities. This is why our graduates are better equipped with a true understanding of the principles that underline osteopathic practices.

At the same time, you’ll gain the clinical competency to deliver safe and effective treatment to patients. Students are required to complete supervised clinical training and practice prior to graduation. This takes place in our dedicated clinical environments that are insured and supervised by professional Osteopathic Manual Practitioners. Working with fellow students in our practice clinic and treating real-life patients in our free public clinic, you’ll get the comprehensive experience you need for your career.

Graduates Are Eligible to Join OSTCAN

CAO is proud to offer an osteopathy program that is recognized and monitored by OSTCAN, Osteopathy Canada, the Canadian Institute of Classical Osteopathy, and the International Institute of Classical Osteopathy. As a result, all graduates of our osteopathy academy are eligible to become OSTCAN members. This is an association open to all practitioners with a world-class education in osteopathy. All members must have completed a minimum of 4200 hours of education, including supervised clinical training, and pass the OSTCAN certification exam in safety, ethics, red flags, and health sciences. 

At CAO, we prepare students to meet these comprehensive standards of practice on the path to becoming safer practitioners and delivering better outcomes for patients.

Are you interested in training at an osteopathy college?

Start your career with the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy today.

The post How Our Osteopathy Academy Aims to Meet International Standards of Education appeared first on Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.

As an osteopathic manual practitioner, your job is to support the body’s ability to self-heal and self-regulate. Osteopathic manual practitioners don’t see themselves as healers but rather facilitators of health. Instead of imposing treatments on the body, you’ll work with the body to return it to its normal state of function and health. That means a fundamental understanding of the body, its systems, and structures are essential to offering the right support to your clients. 

At CAO, anatomy and physiology are built into the curriculum at every stage of learning. Students gain an in-depth understanding of the body, so they are able to treat its layers on an individual level. Here’s a closer look at the importance of studying anatomy and how CAO supports your knowledge. 

Understand Different Physical Challenges as an Osteopathy Professional

In your osteopathy career, you’ll be working with clients experiencing a number of different physical difficulties. Some people may come to you with a sports-related injury or long-term pain. Other clients may be experiencing digestive issues, postural problems, sleep problems, stress and more. In each case, your understanding of anatomy–the joints, muscles, and systems of the body–will guide you in diagnosing and treating different physical problems. 

To ensure that every student is up to speed with their anatomy and physiology knowledge, CAO offers a Year 1 Prep course to help you learn and review this essential content. This is a great option for those with limited experience in healthcare. You can be sure you have the fundamentals down as you prepare to become an osteopathic manual practitioner. 

Work with the Interrelated Systems of the Body

As a non-invasive manual therapy, osteopathy aims to improve health across the body by manipulating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework. Instead of just targeting the area where a client feels pain, an osteopathic practitioner will try to locate the root cause of the problem and work to restore balance in all the body’s systems. This approach requires you to understand how physical problems in one area can impact another and how the different joints, muscles, and bones in the body support one another. 

Our curriculum is designed to comprehensively cover clinical anatomy and physiology. Our focus on anatomy moves away from the traditional allopathic model and toward a fully integrated osteopathic model that examines the body as a whole dynamic body of function. This is key to not just treating pain in the short-term but providing overall good health and wellbeing. 

Treat the Body on a Personalized Level

A good osteopathy professional understands that every client’s body and physical experience of it are different. The approach you take with each patient will be based on the individual, their health history, and the symptoms they describe. Having an in-depth understanding of anatomy –including its variations–will help you to treat the layers of bodily structure on a personalized, individual level to better support each patient. 

You’ll have the chance to apply your knowledge of anatomy and physiology to real-life patients in our free public clinic. Here, you’ll learn how to catch red flags, signs or symptoms of the body and hone in on evaluating physical problems. With the right theory and practice, you’ll be ready to embark on a specialized career in the healthcare field. 

Are you looking to train as an osteopathic manual practitioner? 

Start your career with the program at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy today.

The post 3 Reasons Why Studying Anatomy Is Important to Become an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner appeared first on Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.

Osteopathy is a hands-on profession that demands a strong understanding of the relationship between the structure and function of the human body. As they work with patients to address any physical challenges they are facing, osteopathic manual practitioners benefit from practical training in working with real-life patients. 

At the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy, students focus on getting the first-hand experience they need to practice safe, effective and ethical manual osteopathy in their career. You’ll have access to a practice student clinic and a free public clinic in which you’ll try your hand at treating real-life patients. This practical component ensures that graduates are career-ready, possessing a competitive edge over other candidates. Here’s what you can expect from the clinical experience at CAO.

Put Your Knowledge of Osteopathic Principles into Practice 

All students at CAO are required to complete supervised clinical training and practice before graduation. This takes place in CAO’s dedicated clinical environments – our under-year and upper-year clinics– insured and supervised by professional Osteopathic Manual Practitioners. This is an essential part of gaining the education and certification to become an osteopathic manual practitioner, as well as a chance for you to deepen your understanding of osteopathic principles in practice. You’ll apply what you’ve learnt about anatomy, physiology and the interrelated systems to treat the layers of bodily structure on a personalized, individual level. 

Learn from Your Peers at Osteopathy College

Along with your instructors, there’s a lot to learn from your fellow students at CAO. After all, they are the ones who can relate to the learning experience that you‘ll go through on your way to an osteopathy specialization. 

In our under-year clinic, students try their hand at assessing and treating fellow students in a safe and supportive space. They practice reporting patient history, intake procedures and full body assessment and treatment, all in an environment that affords them the freedom to make mistakes.

In our upper-year clinic, students will focus on treating patients in our public free clinic as they take the lead in their treatments. Students in the upper years of the osteopathy program will also complete the CAO Apprenticeship as teaching assistants in our under-year clinic. This is their chance to guide other students and improve their understanding of the osteopathy clinical practice as a whole. As they instruct and learn from their peers, students discover different perspectives and approaches to facilitating health in the body. In a collaborative learning space, you’ll develop a more comprehensive understanding of the osteopathy practice. 

Develop Confidence Treating Real Patients 

When you become an osteopathic manual practitioner, you’ll work with patients who are experiencing a wide range of physical challenges. These may include back pain, headaches, postural problems and sports injuries. Exposure to these difficulties is the first step to effectively facilitating recovery. 

Patients in the community come to the clinic for assessments or ongoing care. This is a chance for students to apply their osteopathy training to real-life situations. Beyond the application of osteopathic theory, students will also practice listening to patient concerns and responding appropriately. By putting their problem-solving and people skills to the test, our students are ready to step into their careers as more confident and experienced osteopathic manual practitioners. 

Are you interested in attending osteopathy college?

Start your career with the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy today!

The post Considering Osteopathy College? Discover the Value of Clinical Experience appeared first on Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.

Osteopathy offers a rewarding career path to those with an interest in helping others and a curiosity to learn more about anatomy and physiology. Osteopathy focuses on promoting the structural alignment of all layers of the body to facilitate the body’s ability to self-heal and self-regulate. In the process, it helps to strengthen the body’s framework as a form of complementary therapy.

If you’re considering training as an osteopathic manual practitioner, you may be wondering if this career path is right for you. Combining problem-solving and people skills, osteopathy is a great choice for those looking for a dynamic, hands-on profession in the healthcare field. Below, take a look at what to expect from a career as an osteopathy manual practitioner.

1. The Profession is Growing Rapidly

Osteopathy is one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions in Canada, with the demand for skilled professionals expected to increase over the next 10 years. This is partly due to the growing awareness of the benefits of osteopathy, with many insurance plans expanding their coverage to include osteopathic treatments. By working with the interrelated systems and functions of the human body, osteopathic manual therapy can return the body to normal health so it can self-heal and self-regulate. This can be a particularly valuable treatment for those recovering from sports injuries and other physical dysfunctions. 

Population aging is also expected to increase the demand for physical rehabilitation services following surgeries and accidents. As an osteopathic manual practitioner, you’ll be ready to apply your understanding of anatomy and physiology to promote self-healing in all kinds of patients.

2. Program Pathways for All Educational Backgrounds

If your background is not in anatomy or healthcare, the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy offers a Year 1 Prep course that is specially designed for you to learn or review essential anatomy and physiology content before beginning Year 1 of the program. This is the perfect choice for those without a background in health care or with limited experience in health care, such as personal trainers, pilates or yoga instructors and nutritionists. 

After building a foundation in anatomy and physiology, students will go on to our four-year osteopathic education program. Here, you’ll not only learn practical, osteopathic techniques but also the founding principles and theory that those techniques rely on. Through a comprehensive program, students of all abilities will be on the path to becoming osteopathy professionals.

3. It Takes Hard Work to Become an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner 

Dedication and commitment underlie work as an osteopathic manual practitioner. There are no shortcuts to success in this field. This makes it a highly rewarding career for students with a genuine curiosity to improve their understanding of functional anatomy and a passion for helping others. 

When you become an osteopathic manual practitioner, you’ll combine your knowledge of osteopathic theory and practice to assess a patient’s physical condition. You’ll then be responsible for proposing an individualized treatment plan to meet their needs. Through a principles-based approach combined with supervised clinical training, students at the CAO will get the first-hand experience they need to practice safe, effective and ethical manual osteopathy in their career.

4. You’ll Treat Much More Than Pain

Osteopathic manual practitioners take a holistic, whole-body approach to healthcare. Using manual techniques, osteopathic manual practitioners can provide complementary treatments to patients experiencing physical dysfunctions. But an osteopathic manual practitioner does not concentrate solely on the problem area. Instead, they work to balance all the body systems and to promote overall good health and wellbeing in their patients. With our dynamic training program, you’ll feel confident to treat the layers of the body on a personalized, individual level. 

Are you interested in training for your osteopathy career advancement?

Contact the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy for more information!

The post 4 Things to Know About Becoming an Osteopathic Manual Practitioner appeared first on Canadian Academy of Osteopathy.