Continual Professional Development (CPD)
The General Council and Register of Osteopaths requires all osteopaths to carry out a minimum of 30 hours of CPD per annum, at least 15 hours of which should be ‘learning with others’. Each osteopath decides the areas to develop and which courses/events to attend. There is a wide range of courses available from the latest surgical techniques for joint replacement through practice development to osteopathically oriented treatment based courses.
Outlined here are the particular areas we, the osteopaths at the Osteopathic Health Centre, have studied this year.
As well as being interesting and hugely beneficial to our work, we both found it affirming that colleagues have similar observations and approaches to treating children as ourselves. We have both enrolled on an SCC pathway of learning which involves attending courses on specific topics. After each course we have to complete a written assignment, usually a 3000 word case study. Researching and delivering the assignments is proving to be both challenging and rewarding (the old brain cells being called into action!).
My clinical experience and expertise has been greatly enriched by the variety of patients/conditions I have seen whilst studying and working at the Manchester Osteopathic Centre for Children.
Outlined here are the particular areas we, the osteopaths at the Osteopathic Health Centre, have studied this year.
Deirdre Stubbs and Sally Devereux
This year Deirdre and Sally spent seven fascinating days on two residential paediatrics courses run by the Sutherland Cranial College (SCC). These courses have been a mixture of lectures by osteopaths working with children, practical work (where we practise techniques on each other...yes, lots of free treatment!) and plenty of discussion in the lecture hall and over meals on theories, findings etc. We covered a range of topics from infant development and neurological assessment of babies and children to birth position, colic, ear infections, scoliosis etc. Deirdre followed up these courses with a further three day SCC course on more unusual paediatrics conditions such as epilepsy, autism and cerebral palsy.As well as being interesting and hugely beneficial to our work, we both found it affirming that colleagues have similar observations and approaches to treating children as ourselves. We have both enrolled on an SCC pathway of learning which involves attending courses on specific topics. After each course we have to complete a written assignment, usually a 3000 word case study. Researching and delivering the assignments is proving to be both challenging and rewarding (the old brain cells being called into action!).
Robert Chernick
During the last year Robert has attended various lectures and exhibitions as part of his CPD. He attended a series of orthopaedic update lectures at Southport & Ormskirk NHS Hospital which gave him an invaluable insight into the assessment and care of spinal, shoulder, hip and knee injuries (for example, slipped disc, frozen shoulder, arthritic conditions and ligament damage). This has given Robert a greater overview in patient management and the roles of different types of intervention such as manual therapy, pain relieving medications and surgical procedures.Gemma Irvine
For the past two years Gemma has undertaken a Masters Degree in paediatric osteopathy. This involved detailed and intensive study of the birth process, common conditions in babies and children and various systems such as digestive problems, immune function, cardiovascular and orthopaedics.My clinical experience and expertise has been greatly enriched by the variety of patients/conditions I have seen whilst studying and working at the Manchester Osteopathic Centre for Children.