In order to select the best osteopathic college for you, you must first determine what factors are most important to you. Financial aid, formal accreditation, and where you plan to practice medicine after graduation are all important factors to consider. Knowing what type of osteopathic medicine you want to practice will also help you choose the best osteopathic college. For example, osteopathic medicine taught in Europe and the Commonwealth differs significantly from that taught in Canada and the United States.
Osteopathic medicine is primarily used as a supplement to conventional medicine in the United States and Canada. Doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathic medicine have little in common, and some believe the divide is narrowing. An osteopathic practitioner is not a doctor in Europe or Commonwealth countries, nor does he or she have the same training as doctors in the United States and Canada. Traditional osteopathic medicine is studied for much longer by students at osteopathic colleges in these countries.
If you plan to study osteopathic medicine abroad, make sure your chosen osteopathic college offers your preferred type of medicine. It’s also a good idea to double-check that the osteopathic college issues a license that is recognized in both your home country and any other country where you plan to practice medicine. The United States, for example, will not allow an osteopathic doctor from the United Kingdom to practice legally in the country. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, and over 40 other countries accept osteopathic doctors who received their training in the United States.
Accreditation by a professional body is usually a major factor in being able to practice medicine legally in the future. Students may not receive an education on par with accredited schools if they attend an osteopathic college that has not been reviewed and approved by an accreditation organization—often run by the government. It is possible to determine whether an osteopathic college is accredited by looking at its website or calling the school. Find out if the accrediting body is well-known and respected, or if it is sponsored or run by the local government once you have the name. It’s possible that the accrediting body isn’t well-known, isn’t affiliated with any government, and hasn’t previously accredited other schools.
Finally, the cost of attending an osteopathic college is an important consideration. After you’ve narrowed down the best osteopathic colleges based on location and accreditation, you can narrow down your options even more by contacting each college’s financial aid adviser. Financial aid, ranging from scholarships to loans, is abundant at a good college.