General Osteopathic Council (GOsC): application process and curiosities

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What is the General Ostepathic Council (GOsC)? The GOsC is the professional regulatory body for osteopaths in the UK, regulating and setting the academic and professional standards of the Osteopathic Practice in the UK. For simplification we will call these standards OPS (Osteopathic Practice Standard).

Why signing up for GOsC?

This question, personally, has two answers.

• The first, the most obvious, is: to work as an osteopath in the UK. As the GOsC itself puts it:“By law osteopaths must be registered with the GOsC to practice in the UK.”

• The second answer is less obvious but very relevant, to explain it better allow me a short interlude.

Without considering U.S. osteopathy (where by law you must first complete four years of medical school and then specialize in Osteopathic Medicine), English osteopathy is historically considered very important. Brought in London from the States in 1917, with the foundation of the British School of Osteopathy (now the University College of Osteopathy) by a disciple of A.T. Still, John Martin Littlejohn. I mention all this to point out that within a newly born and growing osteopathic world community, English osteopathy, and therefore the regulatory body GOsC, become a point of high-value reference.

And so here is finally the second answer. People do apply to the GOsC to have recognized, to high standards, the osteopathic profession. It may sound weird or pointless, but you would be surprised (perhaps as much as I did) when I discovered and/or met people who, from all over the world (Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, Poland), turn out to be registered but practising in their home country.

To investigate this further, I invite you to visit the section of registered osteopaths on the GOsC website and click “browse by country”.

But how do you register and what does the registration consist of?

At the time I am writing, there are only two ways to apply to the GOsC:

1. Having attended one of the GOsC-validated courses of study, providing you with the title “M.Ost.” or “BSc Ost.” In this case you will apply through the institute itself and, since your course of study is already validated, it is almost a formality to register. This is the link institutions and academic pathways validated by the GOsC to date.

2. Apply as “Overseas Applicant”, so out of the UK, and your request will not be a formality at all.

In this blog we will only talk about point 2, since that’s what I did (and also because as already mentioned, there would be very little to say about point 1).

One question that I often get asked is: do I have to get an academic Uk degree (M.Ost, Bsc Ost, etc.) in order to start the process? The answer is simple, NO.

As we said the enrollment is “professionalizing”, not academic, so ANY OSTEOPATHIC TITLE (usually the famous Diploma in Osteopathy or DO),taken anywhere in the world, is fine. The role of the GOsC Committee is to assess the standards of your Diploma and compare it to the above mentioned OPS in the UK.

The process is divided into 2 steps, during which you will be prompted to deliver several documents:

• Step 1: Academic documentation, this should be translated into English (through a validated translation). This includes exams, exam programmes, marks, any courses relevant to osteopathy, scientific publications, clinical curriculum (short descriptions of internship cases at your institution). I put a link from which you can download all the information about it. During this step there are no things that you MUST or MUST NOT deliver, there is only a rule:

“THE MORE, THE BETTER”

My advice is not to underestimate this step because it is the most important and complex of the 2. Osteopathic academic backgrounds are very heterogeneous all over the world. The Registry knows that, and they do their best comparing them to the Uk OPS, to see if they are similar or equal. Your portfolio will be thoroughly evaluated by two osteopaths “registration assessors” and will spend 1 month, starting from the date you delivered all the material, before receiving a feedback.

• Step 2: Once the first step is over, you can be judged “Equivalent” or “Not Equivalent” (see Tab)

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In the first case you will need to provide the following documents and you will be finally registered:

· a completed registration application form

· a medical certificate

· a reference from someone who knows you

· proof of your ability to communicate in English: Average IELTS 7.0 (C1 Proficiency) with no skills below the score of 7.0

· a clean criminal record in your country of residence (or in Uk if you have lived in Uk for more than 6 months)

· the registration fee

These into step 2, are all documents relatively easy to get. The English exam is the most difficult one.

My advice is, if your intention is to take home your GosC registration number, start practicing for the exam as soon as you start collecting the material for step 1. So much humbleness and forget your current English level. In order to get at least 7 in all four skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking) you don’t only need to be good at English, but to be good at the exam itself (IELTS in this example), I find it very different from my experience.

If, on the other hand, your submitted documentation has been marked as “Not Equivalent” you will be required, before eventually moving on to step 2, to attend an Assessment of Clinical Performance (this consist in 2 first consultations with real patients where you will be evaluated by GosC examiners)and filling out other questionnaires regarding your clinical practice (usually some osteopathic visits you have done, described in detail).

OR you may be required to have a period of Adaptation which is nothing more than a period of practice and/or academic training under the supervision of a UK osteopath, which can last up to three years. Regarding this, while I am sure there are no additional costs for the “Equivalent” feedback, from this year, additional costs have been added for the “Not Equivalent” to support the examination and the period of adaptation. To learn more about these prices please visit the GOsC website.

How long does it take to be “Fully Registered”?

Unfortunately, there is no answer to this question and it is all up to you and your former institution to provide you with everything you need. To give you some numbers, I personally took 4 months (which I was told to be very quick). I’ve met colleagues who have taken up to 18 months.

Registration is as difficult as it is rewarding once you get it.

This article was written for information purpose only, and only wants to be a collection of information for the most curious and interested in the process. For more information, please visit the GosC website and use their contacts.

I wish you good luck if you are following this path, I hope I have been exhaustive.