I sent the following to my MP. Some of you that read this may wish to do likewise.

If I may have you attention for a couple of minutes to

describe the plight of newly qualified Osteopaths.

First of all I would ask you to keep this confidential as
it may affect my memebrship of my regulators the General
Osteopathic Council (GOsC).

I have spoken to my Regulators once before and made a
subsequent confidential phone call to them outlining
the issues current osteopaths and new graduates are facing.
Osteopaths with the formation of the GOsC
as our regulators were promised NHS inclusion, (it is
understood that these things take time),
however, if an osteopath were to undertake an internet
search for osteopathic jobs no jobs exists.
The options available include working from home, setting up
within a clinic – to pay rental fees
(heavy losses incurred when patient lists are non-existent
or small), or as a start-up.
Essentially you must understand the only option is
self-employment or be prepared
to move to New Zealand or to Ireland as just two
examples.

However if you were to undertake the same search for a
physiotherapist job there are a number of recruiters who
undertake this task but one must be HPC registered (Health
Professions Council). This brings me onto a crucial
point: A physiotherapist will pay £150 fee to remain
on the HPC register as oppose an osteopath who pays
£770 to be on the general Osteopathic council.

When questioned about the disparity bewtween fees we are
given unsuitable answers such as:
‘the physiotherapy profession is much larger’, why we
penalised for this?
I did not undertake a 5 year medical degree course and
approximately £30,000 course fees
etc to come essentially to find no jobs.

Many of my colleagues are in the same boat and it is
unacceptable that certain individuals are not able to
continue their membership due to financial restraints.
Although it is not in the GOsC interest to acknowledge
this.

We are told by law due to an Act of parliament passed that
the Council at present cannot do anything, but
again why does the osteopath have to be penalised by this.
Also with the inclusion of the National Institute of
clinical excellence (NICE) guidelines and the
musculoskeletal framework issued by the department of
health
citing the inclusion of osteopaths and chiropractors it
seems all theoretical; no actual changes are being
implemented ground level in terms of job creation. I
was not sure where else to take up this issue but was
recommended that you would be an appropriate contact.

I am a very frustrated that after 5 years of financial pain
and personal scrifice there are no jobs for osteopaths
and I am unable to use my knowledge and skill to their full
potiential. Many of my collegues have given up and
are now trying to establish another career.

If I can re-iterate my desire to stay anonymous as I
do not wish to be ‘black listed’ by the GOsC but do feel

that these issues merit your awareness and hopefully some
advice on the matter.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your
time in advance.

Best regards Mr A. Osteopath.

The Student Osteopath Cons

If you are considering a career in Osteopathy in the UK. Please read this.

So how do I start. I''ll give you a brief history about me.

I came to Osteopthy fairly late in life. Perhaps a mid life crisis.

Before the bad here's the good. Osteopathy has positively changed me and my family. It's to say had I not done it I would have been crippled with neck pain and arm pain and would have lost the use of my arms due to compression of the nerves in my neck and shoulders. I was suggested surgery by my doctor. Osteopathic treatment solved the problem in 6 weeks!

Now the bad..

After 5 years of bloody hard work approximately 200,000 words of tick box essays a final FCC exam that gave me night mares for a year and £30,000 in fees was it worth it?

That's for you to decide.

Unfortunately after two years of advertising it still hasn't taken off to the point where I can live off it. I'm getting more in debt by the month with no end to bills.

At the moment I am considering whether to pack it all in.

It's a shame, I have helped many people and can feel and see way beyond what's normal.

There are a couple of reasons why new Osteopathy businesses are doomed.

The main problem is people don't know about it. In the end you describe yourself as a mixture of Chiropractic and Physiotherapy!

Osteopathy as a profession does not promote itself. The main blame for this must lie at the feet of the GOSC the governing body. These are the ones who will persecute you if you if someone complains. The charge you £750 for the privilege. With regards to promotion of the business they do nothing to help. Physiotherapists pay only £150 for this. Seriously why pay 750 when you can pay 150 plus you have a job at the end of the course. Seems like a scam to me. The other way is to become an Osteomyologist it costs 185 which is much more reasonable.

The schools succer you in with the possible promise of jobs at the end. They're only concern is to keep themselves going. Sadly there are no jobs at the end. YOU have to get your own business going yourself.

Think about it.

You have to explain to everyone you meet what this stuff you do is. You then have to convince them to give you money rather than the better known Chiropractic professions. They all know what a chiro is generally they would rather go there. Chiro is mainstream Osteo is weird stuff. You may as well call yourself a googleplexy flexy. What you say is that? I don't know it's the same as the word Osteopath to most people! However that all changes when you make them better after they've tried every thing else.