Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Program of Study

KHSU-KansasCOM’s innovative approach to osteopathic medical education combines a variety of educational experiences into a curriculum that is focused on creating empathetic, patient-centered physicians. KHSU-KansasCOM’s curriculum is designed to meet the current and future needs of osteopathic physicians and the patient populations they will serve.

Osteopathic Principles

The osteopathic philosophy embraces the idea of the unity of structure (anatomy) and function (physiology). There are four main principles of osteopathic medicine:

• The body is a unit, and the person represents a combination of body, mind, and spirit.
• The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing, and health maintenance.
• Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
• Rational treatment is based on an understanding of these principles: body unity, self-regulation, and the interrelationship of structure and function.

Professionalism at KHSU-KansasCOM

Professionalism is a hallmark of the KHSU-KansasCOM experience, and an attribute required of all KHSU-KansasCOM students, faculty, and staff. Professional conduct, accountability, the demonstration of humanism and cultural proficiency, and maintaining one’s emotional, physical, and mental health are all key components to demonstrating professionalism consistently. More information and training regarding professionalism will be shared with and expected of students during the orientation process and beyond.

Programmatic and Educational Objectives and Core Competencies

The four-year curriculum is designed to reflect 12 competency domains which include foundational biomedical and clinical education.

• Osteopathic Principles, Practice, and Manipulative Treatment
• Osteopathic Patient Care and Procedural Skills
• Application of Knowledge for Osteopathic Medical Practice
• Practice-Based Learning and Improvement in Osteopathic Medical Practice
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills in the Practice of Osteopathic Medicine
• Professionalism in the Practice of Osteopathic Medicine
• Systems-Based Practice in Osteopathic Medicine
• Scientific Method
• Self-Directed Learning
• Discovery
• Medical Intelligence
• Interprofessional Collaboration/Teamwork

At the successful completion of their training, graduates will be prepared to enter residency training and will have built the foundation to become osteopathic physicians that provide effective, empathic, and innovative care to optimize the health of patients and their communities.

Curriculum Philosophy

The purpose of the KHSU-KansasCOM curriculum is to prepare our students and graduates to be empathic, skilled, and patient centered physicians.

OMS I and OMS II of the curriculum focus on didactic coursework in the classroom, with special emphasis on early clinical experiences, a focus on underserved populations, and an emphasis on physician health and wellness. OMS III and OMS IV are spent away from campus, working in hospital and clinic environments on clinical clerkship rotations. The goal of OMS III and OMS IV are to provide the student clinical experiences that emphasize the following: a focus on primary care and a variety of medical specialties, clinical success in rural and underserved communities, and providing a breadth and depth of experiences that enhance the student’s training and overall understanding of the practice of medicine.

Teaching Methods

A variety of teaching and learning methods are incorporated during the OMS I and OMS II years of the curriculum. These methods include classroom lectures, laboratory exercises, clinical integration sessions, technology assisted instruction, designated student assignments, specialized workshops, collaborative and case-based learning, service-learning, and the use of standardized patients, virtual reality, and human patient simulators.