British College of Osteopathic Medicine

The British College of Osteopathic Medicine (also, and more popularly known, as BCOM) is one of the oldest, largest and most respected osteopathic training colleges in Europe.[1] It was previously known as the British College of Naturopathy and Osteopathy (BCNO). BCOM was one of the first colleges to offer degree-level and masters-level study and has validated its courses as academic degrees through the University of Westminster since the early 1990s. BCOM has perhaps the best-resourced campus amongst all dedicated UK Osteopathic Education Institutions. Its courses offer eligibility for registration with both the General Osteopathic Council and the General Council & Register of Naturopaths, reflecting a naturopathic ethos to its tuition.[2][3] The College Principal is Dr Ian Drysdale.

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History

The College was founded in 1936 and has been in operation ever since. Its original site was bombed during World War Two and the naturopathic pioneer, Stanley Lief, founder of Champneys Spa, donated a house in London’s Hampstead as a new campus.[4] This building, which is now named Frazer House and is Grade II-listed, is still the core of the BCOM campus. The College has expanded rapidly in the last 15 years, completing a state-of-the-art extension, including clinic rooms, lecturing suite, canteen and student common area, and occupying a second major building, Lief House, as a teaching, research and administration base. Lief House is also the site of the College’s extensive research facilities.

Courses

BCOM currently offers the following degree pathways to new applicants:

BSc (Hons) Clinical Studies/Masters in Osteopathic Medicine (Double Award Pathway)

This pathway also includes a Diploma in Osteopathy, which offers eligibility to register with the General Osteopathic Council. Students in the second year of their Masters study will have registered with the Council, allowing them to specialise in their clinical research and practise without supervision.

Bachelor in Osteopathic Medicine (Single Award Pathway)

This degree offers eligibility to register with the General Osteopathic Council

BSc (Hons) Osteopathy for Diplomates (Conversion Course)

This degree is a conversion-to-degree course for already-registered Osteopaths.

The first two courses also include a Diploma in Naturopathy. Therefore a BCOM graduate will normally be eligible for registration with both the General Osteopathic Council and the General Council and Register of Naturopaths.

BCOM also supports MPhil/PhD study.

Clinics

BCOM operates three outpatient teaching clinics. These clinics are served by both clinical students under either direct (pre-registration) or on-call (post-registration) supervision from experienced and registered osteopaths with a wide range of experience. Clinical experiential learning is a fundamental of osteopathic education.

Frazer Clinic is the College’s largest teaching clinic, with 24 treatment rooms, a full clinic reception and a dedicated IT and seminar suite. Well established in the local community around BCOM’s Frazer House campus in Hampstead, Frazer Clinic is used for most of the clinical training undertaken by undergraduate students. Lief Clinic, also on campus, at the Lief House site, was inaugurated in 2004 as a research clinic. The Lief Clinic is normally staffed by postgraduate students and BCOM faculty members engaged in research. BCOM has been operating a satellite clinic in Soho, London W1. This clinic has enabled BCOM students to enhance inter-professional working relationships as the Soho Centre is also staffed by other health professionals, including GPs, dentists, midwives and podiatrists.

Before registering, UK osteopathy students take a Clinical Competence assessment. BCOM students have regularly achieved a 100% pass rate at first attempt, which is held to be best practice in the UK Osteopathic sector.

Research

Research at BCOM is well-developed with a dedicated department and an established history of journal publication.[5] It is active within the National Council for Osteopathic Research.[6] Research teaching and learning is a core part of all BCOM courses, and particularly its Masters programme. BCOM also supports PhD/MPhil study. BCOM initiated the International Conference on Advances in Osteopathic Research in 1999, hosting the sixth event at its London campus in 2006.[7][8] BCOM’s scholarly activity includes regular publication in osteopathic and non-osteopathic journals as well presentations to conferences.[9]