72 Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine—Osteopathic Medicine Program Lee Memorial Health Systems Fort Myers, Florida Mount Sinai Medical Center Miami Beach, Florida Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Miami Beach, Florida Orlando VA Medical Center Orlando, Florida Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center Palm Beach Gardens, Florida Palmetto General Hospital Hialeah, Florida Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Southampton, New York Tampa Family Health Centers Hillsborough County, Florida (multiple locations) University Hospital and Medical Center Fort Lauderdale, Florida Wellington Regional Medical Center Wellington, Florida West Palm Beach VA Medical Center West Palm Beach, Florida Westside Regional Medical Center Plantation, Florida Special Academic Programs Osteopathic Principles and Practice Practical Training Sessions The development of the palpatory skills used for diagnosis and treatment is a significant distinction between the educational programs in osteopathic and allopathic medical schools. Stedman’s Medical Dictionary defines palpation as “examination with the hands and fingers; touching, feeling, or perceiving by the sense of touch.” Palpation in the osteopathic medical education context is the use of touch to examine the body. Palpatory skills are used in all areas of osteopathic medical practice and are especially important in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of the musculoskeletal system. The development of palpatory skills is taught in the first- and second-year osteopathic principles and practice (OPP) courses. Successful completion of these courses requires active participation in all laboratory sessions. In the laboratory setting, during the two years, each student will palpate a variety of people with different body types to simulate the diversity of patients expected in a practice setting. Being palpated by other students helps the student understand from the patient’s perspective how palpation feels and enables the students to provide feedback to their laboratory partners, thus enhancing the palpatory skills of all students. The osteopathic medical profession uses a variety of treatment models, and through the skills development process, the student learns the art and skills of manipulative treatment. Psychomotor skills are developed by repeated practice. Reading and observation, although helpful, do not develop the skills required to perform palpatory diagnosis and manipulative treatment. Predoctoral Osteopathic Principles and Practice Fellowship The KPCOM offers a Predoctoral OPP Fellowship Program annually to at least 10 students through a competitive application process. This is a unique opportunity that is made available to exceptional students. It expands the medical training period from four to five years by including a one-year fellowship with two years of clinical rotations. The fellowship program is a 12-month program that takes place between the M2 and M3 years. The curriculum includes guided clinical experience in osteopathic manipulative medicine and other medical specialties, teaching in the OPP courses, participation in department research activities, and a program of didactics. KPCOM Student Research Opportunities Undergraduate KPCOM Research Fellowship Program This is a unique opportunity for two second-year osteopathic students to participate in one fully funded year of research. The fellowship year occurs between the second and third years of study. Research fellows are included in the department as members of the research staff. Fellows participate as team members in an ongoing study or conduct an individual research project. During this fellowship process, they acquire skills in conceptualizing, writing, and submitting an application to the Institutional Review Board. They learn the principles guiding the treatment of human participants in research studies. The research fellow acquires experience in budgeting a research project using university and federal guidelines. During this fellowship year, fellows develop writing skills as they conceptualize their research ideas and submit their scholarly manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals. This opportunity includes presenting their research at a national or international meeting. The KPCOM rewards the fellows for their research efforts. The university pays their tuition for years three, four, and five of the fellows’ medical training. This eliminates tuition expense for clinical years, including the fellowship year.
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