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Accreditation Board

Accreditation Board

The function of the Accreditation Board is to assess osteopathic manual practice (OMP) education programs and the capacity of the school offering the award to do so according to specified standards.
The Accreditation Board considers not only the curriculum and the delivery of OMP education, but also the ability of the program to ensure quality outcomes, the resources available and the performance of graduates.
A program seeking accreditation is required to provide the Accreditation Board with a Self-Evaluation Report addressing the required Standards.
The Accreditation Board will appoint an inspection team which includes osteopathic manual practitioners. The inspection team is responsible for undertaking a comprehensive review of the OMP program which includes site visit. The inspection team will then prepare a report for consideration by the Accreditation Board.
The Accreditation Board will then make a recommendation to the Council for accreditation or otherwise.

Why is Accreditation Important?

  • Accreditation establishes standards for teaching hours, subjects taught, the faculty competency, learning resources, school finances, etc.
  • These education standards attest to the quality of the osteopathic manual practice program offered.
  • The qualities of an osteopathic manual practice (OMP) education program are vested in the
    1. commitment to excellence by the administration and governing board of the school
    2. soundness of the school program
    3. abilities of school faculty and staff
    4. caliber of students admitted to the OMP program
    5. adequacy of school facilities and finances
  • The course credits of one accredited OMP program will be recognized by similarly accredited programs and will be transferable.
  • The diploma or degree received by alumni of one accredited OMP program will be recognized by other accredited OMP programs and can be taken to fulfill educational requirements that are prerequisite to admission to study for a higher degree.
  • The diploma or degree received by alumni of one accredited OMP program will be recognized by the American Osteopathic Manual Practice Examining Board (www.aompeb.org) and by the American Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (www.osteopathicmanualpractice.org) where COMP (Certified Osteopathic Manual Practitioner) designation is sought (COMP is a copyrighted title awarded by AAOMP).
  • Accreditation encourages excellence in OMP education by encouraging continuous improvement through self-study and review.
  • Accreditation standards prepare those OMP programs to apply for recognition and chartering by the government and their students may become eligible to receive government funding (e.g. student loans) or other benefits such as self regulation.