Osteopathic

Osteopathic

Osteopathic practice registration may be granted to registrants who practise in the field of musculoskeletal medicine. These registrants deal primarily in the musculoskeletal system and associated conditions inclusive of the use of manual therapy, and must not practise obstetrics or surgery.

Requirements

To be eligible for registration and licensure in the osteopathic class, an applicant must:

  • be a graduate of a school or college of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, acceptable to the registration committee
  • have successfully completed
    • postgraduate training and certification in a program accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, acceptable to the registration committee, and
    • the three-part Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examinations administered by the United States National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners
  • meet the ºÚÁÏÉç’s English language proficiency requirements
  • have Canadian citizenship, be a permanent resident or be legally able to live and work in British Columbia

How to apply

Registration is a multi-step process that takes an average of six to eight weeks.

Applications are addressed based on the order in which they are received and the intended start date.

Applicants who meet the requirements for registration and licensure in the osteopathic class should complete an Application for Medical Registration (AMR) through no more than three months prior to their intended start date.

The AMR is downloaded directly to the ºÚÁÏÉç’s database for review.

Once ºÚÁÏÉç staff confirms that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements, the applicant will be assigned a file manager.

The file manager will email the secondary application package to the applicant.

The applicant submits to the ºÚÁÏÉç a fully completed secondary application along with all required documentation.

The file manager will review the completed application to ensure that no additional follow-up is required.

If no additional follow-up is required, the file manager will submit the applicant file for a final review and approval. The review process can take up to one week.

Once the application is reviewed and approved, the applicant will be directed to pay licensure fees. Following the payment of fees, a licence will be issued within three business days.

Maintaining the licence

Ongoing registration and licensure in the osteopathic class is maintained by

  • satisfactory completion of the annual licence renewal form,
  • online payment of the annual licence renewal fee as detailed in Schedule A of the ºÚÁÏÉç Bylaws,
  • payment of any other outstanding fine, fee, penalty fee, debt, levy or costs owed to the ºÚÁÏÉç,
  • ongoing compliance with continuing competency requirements,
  • ongoing professional liability coverage or protection,
  • provision of certificates of professional conduct, where applicable.

The annual licence renewal process is accessed through the registrant portal. Registrants will be notified by email of the licence renewal process in late December or early January each year.

Penalties and fines

Registrants must complete the annual licensure process by March 1 to avoid a $500 penalty. The penalty increases by $100 increments each month until the process is completed.

Failure to complete the annual licensure process will also result in the suspension of a registrant’s licence on April 1. The licence will be reinstated when the annual licence renewal form is completed to the satisfaction of the ºÚÁÏÉç, and online payment of all outstanding fees and penalties are made.

For more information about the requirements for registration and licensure, refer to: