PREFACE The purpose of this course is to prepare you to take and successfully pass the Comlex Level 3 examination for osteopathic students. This is a national examination, required as part as three separate exams, for entry into an accredited allopathic or osteopathic residency program after graduation from an osteopathic college. The goal is to allow the generalist in osteopathy to demonstrate their skills in patient assessment and management of patients based on what they have learned in osteopathic curricula and clinical rotations. There are different domains on the examination that cover the areas of osteopathy, including OMT, health and wellness, human development and sexuality, neurology and mental health, endocrinology and metabolism, gastroenterology, pulmonology, cardiology and hematologic conditions, the musculoskeletal system, the genitourinary and renal system, and disorders of the integumentary system. Through the learned material and sample questions, your knowledge in these areas will be refreshed and your test-taking skills will be honed. Prior to studying the material, we will talk about the examination itself and what it entails so you can be better prepared for the rigors of taking it. While taking this examination generally means you have already passed the Comlex Level 1 and Comlex Level 2 examination, this Comlex Level 3 examination has a slightly different focus and examination formats that will test your knowledge and skills in a unique way. Chapter one in the course introduces osteopathic principles and practice, reminding you of the things you have learned about the direct and indirect techniques used in osteopathic clinical medicine. We will talk about the viscerosomatic reflex, Chapman reflex points, and Jones CS tender points and will review the different types of osteopathic manual treatment and musculoskeletal testing. The goal is to review the foundations of osteopathy as it is used in clinical situations. The focus of chapter two is the various somatic dysfunctions that exist in the spine, including how these are best diagnosed and how they are managed through OMT.
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