Osteopathy Australia's Advanced Practice Recognition Program details including program focus areas, pathways, benefits and what titling means.

Program Details

Program Focus Areas

Osteopaths may become Advanced Practitioners in one or more of the following focus areas- subject to eligibility criteria and conditions:

Paediatrics (children)
Sports Management
Exercise-based Rehabilitation
Occupational Health, work injury prevention, management and rehabilitation
Pain Management.

Application Pathways

We offer two application pathways to become an Advanced Practitioner. All Advanced Practitioners, regardless of application pathway, must pass a robust review process. Irrespective of application pathway, Advanced Practitioners demonstrate equivalent clinical skills in their focus area.

The tertiary pathway involves showing:

Completion of a further university qualification in the focus area (AQF Level 7 and above only)
Career achievements and expanded clinical roles over an extended period (what is known as demonstrating an advanced scope of practice in health care)
Quality practice through two written referee reports by two different medical or other allied health professionals (non-osteopaths only). An Advanced Practitioner is not allowed to see or get copies of these reports
Year-on-year effort to expand focus area knowledge after the university qualification.

The vocational pathway involves showing:

Completion of many focus area formal short, medium, or longer training courses of high quality
Career achievements and expanded clinical roles over an extended period (what is known as demonstrating an advanced scope of practice in health care)
Quality clinical practice through two written referee reports by two different medical or other allied health professionals (non-osteopaths only). An Advanced Practitioner is not allowed to see or get copies of these reports
Ability to write several detailed patient studies based on real patient/client scenarios. Case studies must be supported by high-quality health care evidence accepted by medical and allied health professional reviewers. This is an additional requirement in pathway 2 due to no further university degree
Year-on-year effort to expand focus area knowledge through continuing professional development.

Application Assessment

In both application pathways, a review occurs with two other medical or allied health professionals who do not personally know the osteopath. The reviewers use clear procedures that can require a third health professional who does not personally know the osteopath to become involved.

Finding an Advanced Practitioner

You will know when you see an Advanced Practitioner by the titles they use in their advertising (business cards, websites, professional profiles), their listing on Find an Osteo, as well as by the exclusive electronic and physical logos they use.

You will also know if someone is an Advanced Practitioner from the certificates they display at a clinic or where they work.