Neuromusculoskeletal and Osteopathic Fellowship

Program overview

Atlantic Health Morristown's Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine-3 Program is an ACGME accredited program comprising of 12 months of clinical training in osteopathic manipulative medicine and neuromusculoskeletal medicine (OMM/NMM) to prepare trainees for practice in ambulatory as well as acute care settings. Clinical time in the inpatient setting is emphasized to prepare trainees to provide osteopathic care to patients of all acuity levels.

Those accepted into the program will participate in osteopathic clinical research and play a significant clinical teaching role with residents and medical students. At the completion of one year, graduates will be eligible and well prepared to sit for the board-certification examination in OMM/NMM.

Our program is designed to meet and exceed the requirements adopted by the American Academy of Osteopathy (AOA), the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Guidelines for Plus One residency training of the American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (AOBNMM).

Program goals and objectives

We are an ACGME-accredited program with osteopathic recognition.

The goal of Atlantic Health Morristown's Plus One Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine – Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Fellowship Program is to provide fellows with expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of patients in all settings, including ambulatory and acute care. Skills will be acquired through a combination of supervised clinical experiences, formal didactic conferences, and clinical rotations.

Fellows will also develop the leadership and interpersonal skills, professional attitudes, and practical experiences required of an osteopathic physician.

By the end of the program, fellows will be able to exhibit proficiency in the following areas:

• Current scientific knowledge of anatomy and physiology, pharmacotherapy and pathogenesis of musculoskeletal conditions
• Aspects of preventive medicine, including nutrition, exercise, proper biomechanics and medication therapies, when warranted
• Performance and interpretation of a thorough structural and musculoskeletal examination
• Interdisciplinary coordination of multiple health professionals, including physicians, nurses, social workers, dieticians and rehabilitation experts, in the assessment and implementation of treatment
• Understanding of diseases that are especially prominent in various populations
• Knowledge of pharmacologic management, including appropriate prescribing and adherence
• Assessment of psychosocial aspects of aging, including interpersonal and family relationships, living situations, adjustment disorders, depression and anxiety
• General principles of rehabilitation, including the use of physical medicine modalities, exercise prescription, functional activities, assistive devices, environmental modification, patient and family education, and psychosocial and recreational counseling
• Research methodologies related to neuromusculoskeletal medicine, including clinical epidemiology, decision analysis and critical literature review
• Demonstrate competency in performance of osteopathic manipulative treatments, such as: 
  • High velocity, low amplitude (HVLA)
  • Muscle energy (ME)
  • Strain counterstrain (SCS)
  • Facilitated positional release (FPR)
  • Balanced ligamentous tension (BLT)
  • Myofascial release (MFR)
• Demonstrate competency in performance of interventional pain procedures, including:
  • Ultrasound and landmark guided steroid injections for joints, bursae and tendon sheaths
  • Ultrasound and landmark guided regenerative medicine injections (prolotherapy, PRP)
  • Landmark and Electromyogram guided Botox injections for migraines and spasticity
  • Occipital and other nerve blocks