Learning Environment

Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM) is committed to delivering curriculum that educates and assesses students in each of the seven osteopathic core competencies to prepare them to enter graduate medical education.  The curriculum will focus on the principles and practice of osteopathic medicine as a core foundational aspect of the profession. BUCOM curriculum will include evidence-based learning objectives linked to educational content that effectively teach the manual, cognitive and non-cognitive skills needed to develop physician competencies in the areas of Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP) and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). Principles of osteopathic medicine, examination skills, and treatment techniques are taught longitudinally over the entire four years. To engage students, faculty will employ a combination of adult learning methods including team-based learning, problem-based learning, skills labs, standardized patient examinations, simulation experiences and didactic instruction.

During the 3rd and 4^th years, each student will work with DO preceptors across Baptist Memorial Health Care’s comprehensive care system and demonstrate clinical application of these OMM practices and all other medical core competencies. Third and fourth year students will also benefit from a mandatory 2-week rotation in OMM that focuses on progressively advanced OPP/OMM diagnosis, treatment and management. 

BUCOM also benefits from its proximity to and collaboration with other professional training programs at Baptist Health Sciences University (BHSU). In the pre-clinical years (OMS-1 and -2), BUCOM learners have several events where they will work in inter-professional (IP) groups. For example, students in the OMS-1 Special Topics course will have the opportunity to work alongside students in the Sonography program during certain ultrasound scanning sessions. During the spring OMS-1 Pulmonary block, students will work in IP groups to teach an anti-smoking program for elementary students across Shelby County. Groups of students teach in public, private, and under-resourced settings and are later brought together to reflect on their experiences. Additionally, BHSU sponsors an annual international mission trip open to all BHSU students, faculty and staff. This experience allows learners to not only work with other health science professionals but also explore the challenges of caring for patients in under-resourced environments.