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Choosing the best osteopathic college involves considering factors such as financial aid, accreditation, and the type of osteopathic medicine you want to practice. In the US and Canada, there is little difference between physicians of medicine and osteopathic medicine, while in Europe and Commonwealth countries, osteopathy is not a physician’s practice. It’s important to ensure that the college grants a license accepted in your home country and any other country where you plan to practice. Proper accreditation is also essential, and the cost of college is a factor that cannot be ignored.
Choosing the best osteopathic college to attend involves deciding which factors are most important to you. Availability of financial aid, formal accreditation, and where you intend to practice medicine after graduation are some things to consider. Knowing what type of osteopathic medicine you want to practice is also a contributing factor in deciding the best osteopathic college. For example, osteopathic medicine in European and Commonwealth countries differs greatly from osteopathic medicine taught in Canada and the United States.
In the United States and Canada, osteopathic medicine is primarily an adjunct to conventional medicine. There is little difference between physicians of medicine and physicians of osteopathic medicine, and some believe that this gap is steadily narrowing. In Europe and Commonwealth countries, a practitioner of osteopathy is not a physician, nor does he or she have training similar to that of physicians in the United States and Canada. Students at an osteopathic college in these countries tend to study traditional osteopathic medicine much longer.
If you’ve decided to study abroad, make sure your osteopathic college actually practices your preferred type of medicine. It is also wise to ensure that the college of osteopathy grants a license that is accepted by your home country and any other country in which you plan to live and practice medicine. For example, the United States will not allow an osteopathic doctor from the United Kingdom to legally practice in the country. On the other hand, the United Kingdom and over 40 other countries accept osteopathic physicians trained in the United States.
Proper accreditation by a professional body is often a significant factor in the legal practice of medicine. An osteopathic college that has not been reviewed and approved by an accrediting organization – usually run by a government – may not give students the same education as accredited schools. Determining whether an osteopathic college is accredited can be a simple process that involves viewing the website or calling the school. After receiving the name of the accrediting body, find out if it is well known and respected or sponsored or administered by the local government. If the accrediting body is not well known, associated with any government and has not accredited other schools in the past, it could be a false accreditation.
Lastly, the cost of osteopathic college is a factor that cannot be ignored. After narrowing down the best osteopathic colleges in regards to location and accreditation, contacting each college’s financial aid advisor can narrow down the choice even further. A good college has many financial aids available, from scholarships to loans.
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