Teaching

The Course of Study in Osteopathy provides the scientific basis and theoretical and practical preparation necessary to be licensed to practice as an Osteopathy. The Osteopath, the graduate is the healthcare professional who carries out interventions to prevent and maintain the state of health through osteopathic treatment of somatic dysfunctions within the musculoskeletal system. The learning pathway provides basic, characterizing and related curricular educational activities; it also provides additional specific professionalizing educational activities such as seminars, internships partly compulsory, partly freely chosen by the student; finally, the learning pathway provides educational activities such as laboratories, preparatory for internship activities. The Degree Course in Osteopathy lasts 3 years and is divided into 6 semesters; the first year of the course is propaedeutic , the second year is aimed at learning about the dysfunctions of the musculoskeletal system and their relationship with orthopedic, neurological, and cardiorespiratory pathologies that may interfere with the health of the individual, and finally the third year is professionalizing and specialized. Graduates in the class are equipped with an adequate preparation in the basic disciplines, such as to enable them the best understanding of the most relevant elements underlying the processes necessary for the prevention and maintenance of the state of health, during all phases of life. Upon completion of the learning pathway, the student will be able to recognize the indication or contraindication to osteopathic treatment and will perform osteopathic evaluation through observation, perceptual palpation, and osteopathic testing in order to detect the presence of clinical signs of somatic dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. The student will then be able to plan the osteopathic treatment to be performed through specific techniques selected for the individual patient and by promoting educational actions toward the patient and his or her habits in order to prevent alterations of the musculoskeletal system.

OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PROFILES AND OUTLETS

Function within a working environment
The graduates in Osteopathy are healthcare professionals who carry out, independently, or in collaboration with other health care professionals, prevention and health maintenance interventions through osteopathic treatment of somatic dysfunctions that are not attributable to pathologies related to the musculoskeletal system.
A degree in Osteopathy allows immediate entry into the world of work, which, both at the level of public agencies and private facilities, is constantly expanding the demand for this professional figure.
With reference to the diagnosis of medical competence, the graduate in Osteopathy, performs osteopathic evaluation through observation, perceptual palpation, and osteopathic testing to identify any somatic dysfunction that cannot be attributed to pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, and in consideration of indications and contraindications for osteopathic treatment.

Competencies associated with the function
Osteopaths perform their professional activities in health care facilities, public or private, on a salaried or freelance basis.

Career opportunities
The osteopath works on a freelance basis, in professional practices in collaboration with other professionals, or in a dependent relationship in social and health care facilities.
Based on the cultural profile and in compliance with the qualifying educational objectives of the L/SNT4 class, the specific mission of the degree course in Osteopathy is the training of health professionals who are responsible for the attributions provided for in Presidential Decree N. 131 of July 7, 2021, that is, they carry out independently, or in collaboration with other health figures, health maintenance prevention interventions through osteopathic treatment of somatic dysfunctions not attributable to pathologies, within the musculoskeletal system.