ONMM3 Pathway | Graduate Medical Education at PCOM
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Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine 
Residency Program - ONMM3 Pathway

Director: Lauren Noto Bell, DO
Positions: 2 - see "Position Availability" section for additional details

This ONMM program provides an additional year of training in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (NMM/OMM) for residents who have successfully completed an AOA-approved accredited residency, or an ACGME-accredited residency with Osteopathic Recognition. As a resident in our program, you will gain increased knowledge and understanding of osteopathic principles and practice, namely through a high level of proficiency in the areas of osteopathic neuromusculoskeletal diagnosis and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).

The focus of this discipline is the neuromusculoskeletal system and its interaction with other body systems, focusing on the knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology as they relate to all body systems in health and disease. Practitioners of NMM/OMM incorporate medical and surgical treatment methods in the management of patients in specialties including neurology, rheumatology, orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation.

This ONMM residency program is designed to:

  • Provide the resident with a diverse patient population and a broad variety of pathology. This will serve to augment the knowledge base and skills necessary to recognize the structural changes and reflex patterns which accompany disease processes and afford the resident ample opportunity to design treatment programs which seamlessly integrate OMT into the total medical management of all disease processes.
  • Provide the resident with longitudinal acute and chronic outpatient opportunities as well as inpatient consultation experience. These are paramount to develop the knowledge base, diagnostic and management skills and administrative abilities to practice NMM/OMM in either or both a longitudinal primary care or consultative referral setting.
  • Provide a structured educational program that will enable the resident, upon completion of training, to demonstrate expertise in the clinical and technical skills required to achieve board certification in NMM/OMM.
  • Develop physicians qualified to teach basic osteopathic principles and to implement and integrate these concepts into undergraduate and postgraduate clinical programs, whereby the resident, upon completion of training, will demonstrate expertise in the academic setting (lectures, hands-on small group leading, etc.).
  • Provide physicians with significant exposure to the evidence-base underlying the field of NMM/OMM and the unique issues associated with research to expand that evidence-base.

Although we are approved for more than one position, we are a self-funded program. This limits us to accepting only one (1) resident at a time across either of our ONMM programs.

Due to current resident commitments, we will not have a position available until July 2027. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply beginning in August 2026.

The deadline for completed applications is November 15 of each year.

Complete and submit the GME Application for Residency [PDF] along with the required supplemental documents.

Due to current resident commitments, we will not have a position available until July 2027. Applicants are therefore encouraged to apply beginning in August 2026.
ONMM Resident Eligibility for Appointment

The following requirements, as part of the foundational knowledge in Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP), including Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) and Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT), must be met before an applicant is eligible to receive an invitation to interview for the Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (ONMM) program.

  • A minimum of 140 hours of OPP coursework, inclusive of the following:
    • Osteopathic philosophy, history, terminology, code of ethics, anatomy and physiology related to osteopathic medicine; indications, contraindications, and safety issues associated with the use of OMT; and palpatory diagnosis, osteopathic structural exam and OMT.
      • The OMT training must include muscle energy, high-velocity low amplitude (HVLA), and counterstrain techniques, with additional training in one or more of the following: myofascial release, osteopathic cranial manipulative medicine, articular technique, Still technique, ligamentous articular strain, or balanced ligamentous tension technique.
  • Completion of formal OMM/OPP competency assessments, which may include:
    • NBOME COMLEX-USA I, COMLEX-USA II CE, COMLEX-USA-PE, or the NBOME CORRE exam.
      • Prospective residents who have not had a formal assessment of their OMM hands-on skills may be required to pass a practical exam administered prior to matriculation by the program director and core faculty to assess these practical skills. 
  • Residents entering at the ONMM3 level must also meet prerequisite criteria as outlined in the ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in ONMM.

An applicant who is a DO graduate of a Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA)-accredited college of osteopathic medicine (COM) will have met all coursework and assessment requirements through their medical school education.

An applicant who is a graduate of a medical school in the United States or Canada that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) must meet, at the applicant’s expense, the above coursework requirements as provided by an accredited COM, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or one of its component organizations, such as the American Academy of Osteopathy (AAO). Proof of all coursework in OPP must be provided.

 

Notice to Applicants

All applicants for PCOM residency and fellowship programs must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

 

For more information about this program, please contact:

Mary Wilson
Program Coordinator
Phone: 215-871-6482
Email: marymc@pcom.edu

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Department of Graduate Medical Education

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Philadelphia, PA 19131

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