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Application of Knowledge for Osteopathic Medical Practice
Overview
An osteopathic physician with a fluent knowledge base in foundational biomedical and clinical sciences must be able to explain principles of health, disease, and diagnostic and treatment options. This knowledge base includes the articulation of core scientific and clinical practice principles relevant to osteopathic medical practice (e.g., health and the body’s innate capacity to heal, differential diagnoses, disease etiologies, indications and contraindications, assessment of the risks and benefits of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions).
Knowledge fluency is fundamental to a generalist osteopathic physician’s competency to practice osteopathic medicine, and it is demonstrated by the ability to efficiently interpret, process, and skillfully apply principles of foundational biomedical and clinical sciences in a timely manner.
Osteopathic physicians must be able to understand and apply knowledge and principles related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Osteopathic physicians must reject harmful misconceptions about race, gender, and other characteristics in the application of knowledge. Also important to an osteopathic physician’s knowledge competency is the ability to formulate appropriate clinical questions, retrieve evidence to inform patient care, acquire additional and evolving knowledge for lifelong learning, and apply this knowledge for continuous practice improvement.
The principles that underlie the human condition, including its biologic complexity, genetic diversity, homeostatic mechanisms, structure-function interrelationships, development, and interactions of systems and environmental influences, guide the osteopathic physician in the understanding of health and the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Required Elements
DEFINITION
Given the various clinical presentations common and important to osteopathic medical practice and described herein, the osteopathic physician must be able to demonstrate the application of knowledge of clinically applicable foundational biomedical science concepts related to patient care and health, homeostasis, structure-function relationships, prevention, and disease, and do so in an integrated, person-centered, and osteopathic manner.
MEASURED OUTCOMES
The osteopathic physician must effectively apply clinically relevant foundational biomedical science knowledge related to:
- the molecular, biochemical, tissue, and cellular bases of health and disease.
- medical genetics.
- the anatomic and structural bases of health and disease.
- the physiologic and pathologic bases of health and disease.
- the microbiologic and immunologic bases of health and disease.
- pharmacologic principles and pharmacotherapeutics in health and disease.
- neurosciences.
- biopsychosocial sciences.
- epidemiology and population sciences.
DEFINITION
Given the various clinical presentations common and important to osteopathic medical practice and described herein, the osteopathic physician must be able to demonstrate the application of knowledge of established and evolving clinical science concepts related to patient care and health, homeostasis, structure-function relationships, prevention, and disease, and do so in an integrated, person-centered, osteopathic manner.
MEASURED OUTCOMES
The osteopathic physician must effectively apply clinical science knowledge related to disciplines pertaining to the primary care-oriented focus of osteopathic medical practice, including generalist concepts from the following specialties:
- emergency and acute care medicine
- family medicine
- general internal medicine and its subspecialties (e.g., allergy/immunology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, infectious diseases, nephrology, oncology, pulmonary medicine, rheumatology)
- preventive and occupational medicine
- neurology
- obstetrics and gynecology
- reproductive health care
- care for patients of all gender identities
- osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal medicine
- pain medicine, hospice, and palliative care
- physical medicine and rehabilitation
- pediatrics and adolescent medicine
- geriatrics
- psychiatry and behavioral medicine
- general surgery and its subspecialties (e.g., colon and rectal, neurologic, pediatric, plastic, thoracic, urologic, and vascular)
- orthopedics and sports medicine
- anesthesiology
- otorhinolaryngology and ophthalmology
- radiology
- pathology
- dermatology
- other clinical discipline areas relevant to primary care in osteopathic medicine
DEFINITION
The osteopathic physician must demonstrate the ability to acquire and sustain knowledge of applicable foundational biomedical and clinical science concepts appropriate for clinical practice for lifelong learning, including, as applicable, at the point of care.
MEASURED OUTCOMES
The osteopathic physician must demonstrate the ability to:
- incorporate new developments in foundational biomedical and clinical science knowledge relevant to the practice of osteopathic medicine into clinical practice.
- provide inclusive care using current evidence-based practice guidelines.