College of Osteopathic Medicine

William D. Strampel, DEAN

The College of Osteopathic Medicine, established by charter in 1964 as the private Michigan College of Osteopathic Medicine, became a component college of Michigan State University by action of the State legislature in 1969. The College provides a professional osteopathic physician educational program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. The College offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree programs in its basic science departments. In addition, the college has a dual degree program that allows students who wish to become medical scientists to pursue a D.O. and a Ph.D. simultaneously. As of June 2009, the college will offer its preclinical education (first two years) at three sites: on the East Lansing campus, at the Detroit Medical Center, and at the Macomb University Center in Clinton Township.

The basic science departments of the college are  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Physiology. The clinical departments are Family and Community  Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology and Ophthalmology, Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, Osteopathic Surgical Specialties, Pediatrics, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Psychiatry, and Radiology.

The college is integrated with 27 Michigan community hospitals in the Statewide Campus System for pre- and post-doctoral education.

The Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine is committed to excellence in osteopathic education, research and service through the Statewide Campus System. The college fully prepares osteopathic physicians to respond to public needs in a dynamic health care environment.

Osteopathic medicine embraces the following philosophic principles.

• There exists an intimate relationship between structure and function in the human body.
• Within this unity of organization, health is a reflection of  an integrity of self–regulatory and self–healing mechanisms.
• The ability of the body to maintain this integrity in spite of an ever–changing external and internal environment is mediated through an elaborate homeostatic system, of which the circulatory  and neuromusculoskeletal systems are important components.
• Certain distortions within these components reflect a level of disturbed health as a part of the process of disease.
• Some manifestations of these distortions are accessible within the neuromusculoskeletal system through the clinical use of osteopathic diagnostic procedures.
• Osteopathic medicine is dedicated to the amelioration of these disturbed structure–function relationships by the clinical application of osteopathic diagnostic and therapeutic skills developed within this distinctive orientation.

The college is dedicated to assisting in the solution of the ever–growing public demand for physicians who can provide comprehensive and continuing health care to all members of the family. While the educational program of the College of Osteopathic Medicine is geared primarily to the training of primary medicine physicians, the curriculum and educational programs are designed also to meet the continuing need for medical specialists and teacher–investigators. Traditionally, osteopathic education seeks to prepare physicians who are especially concerned with maintaining continuing personal relationships with patients, their families, and their optimum interaction with the community environmental patterns. This emphasis is reflected in the nature of the curriculum and particularly reinforced during clinical clerkship rotations through a variety of clinical disciplines in both hospital and non–hospital settings.

Early clinical involvement in patient care enables the students to study the biological and behavioral sciences that are relevant to what they are seeing and doing in the clinical area. With the help of the faculties in the biological and behavioral sciences, students learn to apply current concepts and principles to the clinical problems related to patient care. The entire teaching program emphasizes this important cooperative relationship between basic sciences and clinical practice.

The concepts of medical education of the college are consistent with osteopathic philosophy and are based on the following tenets:

1. The focal point of the curriculum is patient care.
2. The holistic nature of osteopathic medical care of patients in their environments requires the integration and application of the biological, clinical, social, and behavioral sciences.
3. The basic sciences are not necessarily preclinical topics, but subjects that become meaningful and relevant when applied to the art and science of clinical osteopathic medicine.
4. The students should have early and significant patient contact, and patient responsibility should increase progressively throughout the program.
5. A level of performance to criteria is expected of all students in basic and clinical sciences including the art of palpatory diagnosis and manipulative therapy.
6. Students must be prepared for more than utilization of present knowledge. During their medical undergraduate and graduate education they must develop the foundation and motivation for a lifetime of learning, and the ability to apply new knowledge and skills, including the appropriate use of technology and medical informatics, as they evolve.

The professional program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.

Admission

The science and practice of osteopathic medicine require an understanding of the relationships among the physical, biological, psychological, cultural, and environmental aspects of human behavior. Thus osteopathic education requires preparation in the natural, social, and behavioral sciences and the humanities. Candidates should be able to demonstrate their ability to work and think independently and in a scholarly manner.

Applicants for admission to the first–year class in the college must meet the following minimum requirements prior to enrollment:

1. Completion of a four–year high school course or its equivalent acceptable for admission in a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting commission of higher education.
2. Completion of at least three years (90 semester or 135 term credits) of college training in a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting commission of higher education. 
3. Completion of 8 semester or 12 term credits in each of the following areas with no grade below 2.0: 
   Biology—including both course work and laboratory work in general biology or general zoology
   Inorganic chemistry—including lecture and laboratory work 
   Organic chemistry—including lecture and laboratory work 
   Physics—including course work and laboratory work in the study of mechanics, sound, heat, magnetism, electricity, and light.
   Completion of 6 semester or 9 term credits in each of the following areas with no grade below 2.0: 
   English—including both oral and written English, and
   Psycho–social–behavioral sciences including study of individual and/or group behaviors.
4. The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) must be taken by the fall of the year application is being made. Scores should not be more than 3 years old. 
5. Science and overall grade–point averages must be no less than B- (2.70 on a 4.00 scale) at the time the application is filed. (Normally, the grade–point averages of students who are admitted to the program are well above 3.20.) 
6. Suggested science course electives include biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, genetics, microbiology, and histology. 
7. Suggested medical humanities and ethics electives include course work in philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and related disciplines.

An application must be completed and all official transcripts submitted to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS), 6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 405, Rockville, Maryland 20852, by December 15 of the year prior to entrance. The Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine forwards to those students who pass the initial screening a secondary application which includes two recommendation forms that must be completed and returned to the college by the deadline specified. However, early application is encouraged because the college admits its students on a rolling basis. Most interviews are conducted between October and March. Selection of students for the fall class and alternate students is completed in April.

Students admitted to the College of Osteopathic Medicine without baccalaureate degrees but with 90 semester or 135 term credits of undergraduate work may elect to pursue a program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. This degree may be earned by meeting the requirements of the university and completing satisfactorily the first year of the program of the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Curriculum

The curriculum leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree includes six semesters of on–campus courses and 76 weeks of community–based clinical training. It is designed to meet the following educational objectives: 

1. To assist students to integrate basic science, behavioral science, and clinical science concepts related to the tenets of osteopathic philosophy.
2. To provide the student with comprehensive medical knowledge and skills which will serve as a foundation for a lifetime of learning.
3. To produce osteopathic physicians with the skills necessary to enable them to enter general practice or pursue further training related to a medical specialty.

The curriculum is divided into three sections:  Unit I, Unit II, and Unit III. Unit I (semesters 1 to 3) emphasizes introductory basic science concepts. During Unit I, students are introduced to physical examination, doctor–patient interaction, and the principles of osteopathic palpatory diagnosis and manipulative therapy.

In Unit II (semesters 4 to 6) the emphasis is on a series of courses dealing with body systems:  the integumentary, neuromusculoskeletal, hematopoietic, cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary, gastrointestinal, endocrine, reproductive, growth and development, and behavioral systems. These courses provide integrated presentations of basic and behavioral science concepts and clinical aspects of each body system. The basic and behavioral science inputs into Unit II are planned to reinforce and further develop principles presented in Unit I, a process facilitated by a series of integrative clinical correlations courses offered throughout both units. Courses in Units I and II are usually team taught by faculty in order to offer students a balance between basic biological and behavioral sciences and clinical osteopathic medicine. During Unit II, students are required to master clinical skills associated with their body systems courses and to participate in college clinics with supervision.

In Unit III students complete 76 weeks of clinical training in community hospitals, clinics, and private practice offices affiliated with the college.  The required ambulatory care track includes 24 weeks in an ambulatory care clerkship, 4 weeks in psychiatry, 24 weeks in hospital rotations, and 24 weeks of electives and selectives.

Requirements for Graduation

To graduate from Michigan State University with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, a student must satisfactorily complete the courses in Units I, II, and III of the curriculum, successfully completing the equivalent of eleven semesters of academic study and pass the COMLEX-USA Level 2 examination of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners.

In addition, each graduating student must receive the endorsement of the Committee on Student Evaluation and an affirmative vote from the faculty of the College. A copy of the Policy for Promotion, Retention and Graduation is available to each student on admission to the College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Thomas D. Sharkey, Chairperson

GRADUATE STUDY

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is administered jointly by the colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Human Medicine, and Natural Science.  These colleges offer Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs with majors in biochemistry and molecular biology. In addition, the College of Natural Science offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in biochemistry and molecular biology—environmental toxicology along with options for dual majors in a variety of disciplines. For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

Carol Lynn Monson, Acting Chairperson

Family medicine is medical care provided by a primary care physician who becomes a partner with all family  members to help them understand the ways to achieve comprehensive and continuing health care.  This approach to medical practice embraces the concept of, and concern for, the whole patient and the impact of the patient’s environment upon health.  This practitioner stresses health maintenance, diagnoses illness, undertakes treatment, institutes short-term and long-term follow-up care, and makes appropriate referrals to other health care providers.

The goal of family medicine is to develop a competent practitioner who can provide total medical care.  The curriculum is built on the philosophy of early and continued exposure to clinical as well as didactic aspects of medicine through reinforcement and integration of classroom learning with clinical practices.  Student physicians are introduced to a variety of health care settings through clinical training programs designed to provide them with a broad base of skills required to function in the field of family medicine.

The department, with the support of its Division of Research, is committed to conducting research in both clinical and medical education settings.  Departmental research is broad-based and support for student research is an integral part of the departmental mission.

Mary Jo Hughes, Acting Chairperson

The Department of Internal Medicine is organized to represent general internal medicine and its major subspecialities of cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, infectious disease, nephrology, oncology, pulmonary and critical care, rheumatology, tropical medicine, and emergency medicine. The basic responsibility of this department is to educate students, via a systems biology approach, to the recognition and treatment of disease. Hospital and ambulatory clinic programs are organized for the maximum exposure of students to excellent medical care in varying milieus, and to provide education across the continuum for adult learners through the graduate medical education system and beyond. The department is committed to clinical and basic science research including a long-standing program in Malawi, Africa researching the effects of malaria in children; the development of extramural and continuing educational programs for the profession and the public; and to the broad mission of improved and efficient medical care.

Walter Esselman, Chairperson

GRADUATE STUDY

The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics is administered jointly by the colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Human Medicine, Natural Science, and Veterinary Medicine.  All four of these colleges offer a Master of Science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics  and a Doctor of Philosophy degree  in microbiology and molecular genetics. In addition, the College of Veterinary Medicine offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in microbiology—environmental toxicology. For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

Students who are enrolled in Master of Science degree programs in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics may elect a Specialization in Food Safety.  For additional information, refer to the statement on the specialization in the College of Veterinary Medicine section of this catalog.

David Kaufman, Chairperson

The Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, established July 1, 2000, is an outgrowth of the former neuro-ophthalmology unit that has existed on campus since 1986. The Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology is administered jointly by the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Human Medicine.  The department offers dually accredited residency programs in neurology, fellowship programs in neuro-ophthalmology, stroke, neuro-epidemiology, and refractive surgery, and clinical and research programs for medical students.  American Optometric Association (AOA) and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) certification for the neurology residency was approved in 2002.  The department also acts as Michigan State University’s Osteopathic Postgraduate Training Institution for statewide osteopathic residencies in neurology and ophthalmology.

Its broad research portfolio is supported by multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants and other extramural funding.  Major themes of the department’s research is to use the eye as a model for brain disease, stroke, neuro-degenerative disease, and demyelinating disease.  The department also shares research and clinical faculty with affiliated laboratories on the Michigan State University campus.  The clinical responsibilities of the department are fulfilled by on-campus neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, and ophthalmologists who have sub-specialty training in a number of different disciplines of neurology.  To enrich its research, clinical, and educational programs, the department also collaborates with numerous clinicians statewide.

Lisa A. Destefano, Chairperson

The Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine represents a specialty discipline within the College of Osteopathic Medicine. The primary responsibility of the department is to provide instruction to osteopathic medical students in the areas of osteopathic principles, practices, and methods as part of their preparation for the practice of osteopathic medicine. This responsibility is fulfilled through the delivery of classroom, laboratory, hospital, and clinic programs that provide quality education and experience. The department also participates in the Statewide Campus System, providing clinical training at both the predoctoral and postgraduate medical education levels. In addition, the department is committed to research, high quality patient care, and continuing medical education programs to improve the quality, recognition, and delivery of osteopathic health care to the public.

Shirley A. Harding, Chairperson

The Department of Osteopathic Surgical Specialties focuses on anesthesiology/pain management and the surgery specialties of orthopedics, urology, obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery, cardiovascular/thoracic surgery, otorhinolaryngology and neurologic surgery.  Students are trained in the surgical specialties through systems courses, hospital and office-based clerkships in the surgical specialties.  Students are provided with a broad based surgical  curriculum throughout our Statewide Campus System for post-graduate training within the multiple surgical specialties. In addition, the department is committed to developing and assisting in research programs, community health services, and continuing post graduate education programs throughout the state.  These contribute to the improvement of quality and efficiency of health services for the public.

Joel S. Greenberg, Chairperson

The Department of Pediatrics is concerned with the health care of the developing infant, child, and adolescent. The primary responsibility for the department is to educate osteopathic students, interns, residents, and physicians with didactic and clinical experiences in osteopathic medicine as they relate to this age group. The Department of Pediatrics has a commitment to the community to develop primary care physicians that are responsive to the needs of the community.

The department is involved in many phases of primary pediatric care both locally and throughout the state. Recent additions of pediatric infectious disease, sports medicine, ADHD, asthma, adolescent medicine, substance abuse, and chronic disease have broadened the scope of the department. Faculty members are involved in scholarly and research activities which can provide opportunities for students and residents to participate in these areas.

James J. Rechtien, Acting Chairperson

The hallmark of the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation is to provide an environment conducive to the functional restorations of individuals impaired by trauma, disease, or congenital deformity so that their fullest potential can be realized for themselves, their families, and society-at-large.

Faculty and allied health professionals in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation teach medical students in the colleges of Osteopathic Medicine and Human Medicine.  They also provide educational and service programs, including online education for osteopathic physicians and related health professionals, and conduct community educational programs on disabilities and rehabilitation.

The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation maintains clinical service programs in an in-patient rehabilitation unit.  The department provides consultation to area hospitals and offers out-patient clinical programs in the areas of electrodiagnostics, chronic back pain, disability, manual medicine for chronic back disorders, traumatic brain injury, injection therapies, acupuncture treatments, and general rehabilitation services.

The department engages in research which contributes to the advancement of knowledge and to the development of the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation.  Research includes studies on electrodiagnostics, clinical anatomy, and chronic pain.

The Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation administers a residency program in physical medicine and rehabilitation and is affiliated with a fellowship in electrodiagnostics and interventional physiatry and a fellowship in electrodiagnostics and sports medicine.

William S. Spielman, Chairperson

GRADUATE STUDY

The Department of Physiology is administered jointly by the colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Human Medicine, Natural Science, and Veterinary Medicine.  All four of these colleges offer Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs with majors in physiology. In addition, the College of Veterinary Medicine offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree program with a major in physiology—environmental toxicology. For additional information about the department and its graduate degree programs, refer to the statement on the Department of Physiology in the College of Natural Science section of this catalog.

E. James Potchen, Chairperson

The Department of Radiology is administered jointly by the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Human Medicine. The department provides basic and clinical education in anatomy and diagnostic imaging including radiology, ultrasound, magnetic resonance, and nuclear medicine. Department faculty have special skills and interest in management, health policy, medical decision-making, and questions relevant to the human issues in the practice of medicine. In the College of Human Medicine, faculty participation includes RAD 553 Introduction to Radiology, which is required of all students in the professional program, and input into other medical courses. In the College of Osteopathic Medicine, faculty participate in the Systems sequence, conduct RAD 553 as a required course, and provide radiology and anatomy content for several statewide campus system residency courses. Other electives are offered in both colleges, including clerkships in radiology and nuclear medicine at affiliated hospitals. The department sponsors a visiting professor program for medical students, interns and residents. The department offers two allopathic residency programs:  one in Flint and one in Grand Rapids.  In addition, the department sponsors an osteopathic residency program through a consortium of hospitals in Garden City, Pontiac, Warren, and Wyandotte, Michigan. Research interests include the physics and engineering of reconstructive imaging, technology assessment and efficacy studies, radiologist performance, and magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, as well as psychometric and morphological studies of brain function with magnetic resonance imaging.

The Division of Anatomy and Structural Biology is administered by the Department of Radiology.

The Division of Human Pathology is administered by the colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine.