OMP Program accreditation

Osteopathic manual practice (OMP) program accreditation is a multi-level process which aims to evaluate and continuously improve educational effectiveness based on firstly self-evaluation by the relevant OMP program followed by verification and validation by the Council.
The US Council on Osteopathic Manual Practice (UCOMPE) undertakes the accreditation function by:

• Developing Standards for the osteopathic manual practice education which sets out the accreditation process for review and evaluation. These Standards emphasize the use of outcomes assessment measures and detail the Criteria for Accreditation which establish the minimum education expected to be received by students who are studying to become osteopathic manual practitioners (also known as manual osteopaths, European style osteopaths or osteopaths, outside the USA).
• Maintaining an Accreditation Committee. The Accreditation Committee is responsible for interpreting the Standards, implementing the process of accreditation and certifying the quality and integrity of American osteopathic manual practice programs through the evaluation of their compliance with the accreditation criteria. The Accreditation Committee also provides recommendations to OMP Programs on issues of effectiveness and program quality.
The purpose of the accreditation process is to determine that OMP programs:
• have a clearly defined mission and goals consistent with educationally-appropriate objectives;
• maintain conditions under which the achievement of these objectives can reasonably be expected;
• are in fact achieving these objectives substantially; and
• can be expected to continue to achieve these objectives in the future.
In order to enhance an osteopathic manual practice Program’s effectiveness, the Accreditation Committee will:
• encourage improvement through continuous self study and review; and
• provide counsel and assistance to established and developing OMP Programs.