Context: As the osteopathic medical profession grows and

enrollment in osteopathic graduate medical education falls, it is important to ensure that all osteopathic medical students receive adequate training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). Objective:To determine if incorporating mandatory exposure to OMM into third- and fourth-year clinical clerkships favor-ably influences osteopathic medical students ’ comfort with the use of OMM. Methods:All participants attended a 1-hour mandatory didactic lecture and a 3-hour practical clinic every week as part of their rotations at Wilson Memorial Medical Center. The authors dis-tributed 2 hardcopy questionnaires to each subject: the first survey before rotations began and the second at the end of rotations. The survey comprised 7 clinical situations to which students used a visual analog scale ranging from “comfort-able ” to “uncomfortable ” to describe their personal comfort with using OMM in each situation. Students ’ responses before and after rotations were compared using the paired t test. Results: Sixty-eight students had rotations at the clinic; 50 stu-dents completed both questionnaires. The study demon-strated a statistically significant increase in comfort level of 17.9 % (P<.001) after the rotations. Conclusions: Students ’ reported levels of comfort with OMM increased after they underwent formal OMM education. Incor-porating exposure to an OMM curriculum may help instill a greater sense of identity as a future osteopathic physician and may influence participation in an osteopathic residency. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2011;111(4):219-224 As the practice of osteopathic medicine flourishes in theUnited States, some may question whether the profes-sion has maintained its distinctiveness in adhering to the original principles of Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO. Progress certainly dictates change, notably to more pharmacopeia-oriented practices, but physicians concerned with the future of the profession may be wary that osteopathic medicine is being referred to as a “lost art, ” as “rhetoric, ” and even as a “paradox.”1-3 It may be necessary to find ways to preserve the discipline’s distinctiveness. The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine projects that in the 2016-2017 academic year, mor