“Go big or go home!” has always been part of how I approach life. Whatever I choose to do, I put my heart into it and try to make it the very best it can be. This project is no exception!
I want to create one of the largest and most comprehensive referral directories for manual osteopaths anywhere in the world, and I am personally committing $250,000 toward making this vision a reality.
Starting in 2027, Registered Manual Osteopaths (RMOs) will have a dedicated website and app designed to help the Canadian public easily find an RMO near them.
The website is www.registeredmanualosteopaths.ca, a name chosen by the majority of registered manual osteopaths in a poll we done last week. The website is not ready yet though as we just registered the domain.
But building the directory is only the beginning.
I plan to invest heavily in promoting it across Canada. We also plan to send referral information to family physicians, communicate with unions and employers, and work with extended health plan insurers to increase awareness of RMOs and encourage recognition and referral to qualified Registered Manual Osteopaths.
My goal is simple: I want more Canadians to know where they can find well-educated, competent and ethical manual osteopathic practitioners.
The Canadian public deserves access to safe, effective and ethical manual osteopathic care. Unfortunately, educational standards within our profession can vary considerably. There are programs with very limited educational hours, organizations that issue credentials without meaningful education, and short continuing-education courses that may give participants the impression that a weekend of training is sufficient preparation to practice manual osteopathy.
I have spent much of the past 16 years working to raise educational and professional standards within manual osteopathy. Promoting the RMO designation across Canada is another step in that journey.
I want the public to understand what the RMO title represents.
Registered Manual Osteopaths must meet strict membership requirements. These include written and practical board examinations, education in areas such as insurance fraud prevention and sexual abuse prevention, more than 2,000 hours of osteopathic education, 1,000 hours of clinical practice, and additional professional requirements.
When the public can clearly identify practitioners who have met substantial educational and competency standards, everyone benefits: patients, the profession, and the registered manual osteopaths.
This is my gift to Registered Manual Osteopaths, many of whom have been my students at National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA) and National University of Medical Sciences 9Spain, USA, Panama) over the years.
But the RMO designation is not just for my graduates. It is intended for qualified manual osteopaths from any educational institution who meet the required educational, clinical and professional standards required by the College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO), a voluntary association owned/operated by Indigenous Peoples. As you know osteopathy is a heritage of Indigenous Peoples and CRMO is the first and only association that is working to promote this knowledge through its Council of Elders.
I want to see our profession grow. And most importantly, I want Canadians to have confidence in the manual osteopaths they choose for their care.
One final note: my apologies if our staff have been a little slower than usual in responding to your messages. We are currently in the middle of moving, so for the next two to three weeks our team will be exceptionally busy. Please rest assured that they will get back to you as soon as possible.
Exciting things are ahead for Registered Manual Osteopaths in Canada!
Have a wonderful day, and God bless.
Dr. Shawn Pourgol, MBA, DC, DO, DN, PhD
Osteopath, Naprapath, Chiropractor & Founder of:
National Academy of Osteopathy (Canada, USA)
National University of Medical Sciences (USA, Spain, Panama)
Osteopathy Chronic Pain Clinics of Canada (380 clinics in 34 countries)
Florida Naprapathic Association
World Osteopathy Day
Better than McGill University!
I sincerely appreciate all your advice and your work to give us the best means to improve our odds to succeed in this new path. Your speech at graduation ceremony was very inspiring. As you said, you will always be part of the change in our lives, an important part, let me complete, and I will always be grateful to you for all the knowledge that you have transferred to us but most of all, for your devotion as a teacher and your engagement to your students to make successful people of us. Words are not enough. Thank you. .
Irmina Toledo Gehrmann, DO (Spain)
Hi Dr Pourgol, Just wanted to let you know I am enjoying your online classes, I like the fact that you use the skeleton and then the actual human patient, it really drives the point home, I especially like the Ethics and Clinical Management lectures, I thought they would be boring, but your personal experiences make it very inspiring. Thanks.
Dr Randy Nagir, ND (San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago), 3rd semester National University of Medical Sciences (Spain) student – Doctor of Osteopathy program
Dr Randy Nagir, ND