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January 27
Find out more about BCOM and how to become an osteopath by coming along to one of our Open Days
BCOM’s Open Days are a great chance to find out about life at the College. The Open Day schedule ensures that prospective candidates experience the Frazer House Clinic, an Osteopathic practical class and a research presentation in our Human Performance and Hydrotherapy Laboratory.
Feedback from prospective students who attended our most recent event held on 19 January was that they found the afternoon very useful and informative, and were presented with a comprehensive level of information. One attendee commented on their experience stating: “I cannot say enough about how helpful and welcoming everyone has been. I am very excited to be here.”
Academic Registrar, Kasia Tarnowska, who organises the events said: “We encourage all applicants to visit BCOM as it gives them an understanding of our Naturopathic approach to Osteopathy. Applicants are given the opportunity to meet the College Faculty and the admissions team and, most importantly, are able to meet the students.”
Our next Open Days will be held on 23rd February, 8th and 22nd March between 1pm and 4.30pm. If you would like to attend, please contact Jenny Harrison registry@bcom.ac.uk for full details.
January 4
The New Year is a good time for health resolutions. Don't forget your bones. BCOM's bone scanning clinic quickly and painlessly scans your bones using the CubaClinical Ultrasound Machine. You simply place each foot into the machine and your heels are scanned. The clinic runs each Tuesday and Wednesday from 2pm in Lief House on Finchley Road, opposite the tube station. Cost of a scan and full discussion of your result and measures you can take to improve your bones is £30 (£20 concessions).
To arrange an appointment call 020 7435 7830 or for more information email Daphne Bird db@bcom.ac.uk
December 21
We at BCOM would like to take the opportunity to wish our students, patients and staff a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year.
The College closes on 23rd December and we will re-open on Tuesday 3rd January 2012.
December 2
BCOM Lecturer book release
BCOM lecturer Mark Hines has released a new book, Our Natural Diet: Optimal Nutrition for Health, which offers a compromise-free approach to healthy nutrition, which in itself is the essential basis for weight-loss and the appearance of good health. Our Natural Diet is absolutely not a fad diet. Everything about the book is aimed at ensuring people can follow this diet for life. There is no highly restrictive or technical structure to the diet, there are no complicated phases, and if someone strays from the diet then it really will not have any negative effect over the long term.
Mark is an academic and doctoral researcher based at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, he lectures on all aspects of physiology and research methods. In addition to interests in nutrition and physiology, he is a world-class ultra-endurance athlete, and competes in some of the most dangerous and physically demanding races in the world, pushing his own body to the limits. He is regularly featured in national health and fitness magazines, and is utilised as an expert contributor to magazines and radio programmes.
November 4
BCOM 75th Anniversary Graduation Ceremony
BCOM’s 2011 Graduation Ceremony marking the College’s 75th Anniversary was a great success and the day was enjoyed by all who attended. Special guests included Cllr. Heather Johnson, Deputy Mayor of Camden, Dr Geoffrey Copland, Former Vice Chancellor of the University of Westminster and Prof. Malcolm Gillies, Vice Chancellor of London Metropolitan University. The well known health expert and author Michael Van Straten gave a speech recalling his days as a BCOM student with great fondness, and announced the launch of BCOM’s Alumni Association of whom he is President.
The graduates were congratulated on their achievement and praised for their hard work by Dr Ian Drysdale, Principal of BCOM, who was also commended for his contribution to the College over the past 40 years.
Congratulations to all our new graduates and BCOM wishes you great success in your future careers in Osteopathy.
October 25
BCOM Celebrates 75th Anniversary
The British College of Osteopathic Medicine has begun a yearlong celebration of its 75th anniversary in 2011. This year marks 75 years since BCOM was founded in 1936 as the British College of Naturopathy and Osteopathy. In its 75 years, the College has developed into one of the largest osteopathic colleges in the UK, with a sector-leading multi-part campus. Based in Hampstead, the College was founded by pioneer and eminent naturopathic osteopath Stanley Leif who also set up the famous Champneys spa.
BCOM’s key event for the anniversary will be a special 75th Anniversary Graduation Ceremony on 28th October which will be held at The Mermaid Centre in Blackfriars, London. Guest speakers will include the Deputy Mayor of Camden and well known health expert and writer Michael Van Straten who studied at the College before launching his successful media career. Principal Dr Ian Drysdale said "Reaching this milestone in our history is a testament to our staff, faculty and students. The achievements of those at BCOM have helped to shape osteopathic education and practice over the years, and I am proud to have seen the College grow and develop into a world-leading institution that it is today”.
October 7
New Academic Year at BCOM
We begin our academic year by welcoming new first years and returning students to BCOM after the Summer break.
The College has an active Students Union which is affiliated to the National Union of Students (NUS) and members can benefit from reduced-priced travel and discounts with various high street shops and businesses. This year’s BCOM SU President, Lauren Hobson, with the rest of the team have been organising various events and activities for students to get involved in for Freshers Week and beyond, which include pub quizzes, pizza nights and fancy dress parties! Lauren said "I hope to see everyone out enjoying themselves at the upcoming events for this term and those to follow. On this course it's very important to balance hard work with some good nights out where you can have fun and unwind, so please get involved. Remember the Student Union is here for students, we are the bridge between you and the Faculty so please contact us anytime you need."
Details of events can be found on the Students Union pages, and in the meantime we hope to see students enjoying themselves and settling in over the next few weeks.
August 19
BCOM Fitness Tests for Diving Champion
Ed Wardle returned to BCOM last month for lab tests on lung function and aerobic fitness, following initial tests last year. He has recently set a new national diving record, and hopes to win in the next World Championships. His record was for swimming down to 55m without any weights or fins (breast stroke down and back up. No stranger to challenge and adventure, Ed was nominated for a BAFTA after his ‘Alone in the Wild’ documentary; he’s climbed Everest a couple of times and has trekked to the North Pole
Mark Hines, Lecturer and Physiologist at BCOM, carried out extensive tests to monitor Ed’s fitness and lung capacity - giving him spirometry (lung function) and VO2 max (aerobic fitness) tests. Read more here.
July 21
Congratulations and Farewell
BCOM celebrated the end of year with a party for students and staff. The farewell lunch which included a specially-made cake was enjoyed by all! Congratulations to all the BCOM students and thank you to Faculty and staff for their hard work.
Among the year 4 students was Claire Sutton, the year group’s Student Representative who has now successfully completed the Masters in Osteopathic Medicine, she said:
“It was all worth it and I’m looking forward to starting my career. I’ve got full-time work lined up and others in my year have too, it’s all very optimistic.
It has been a lot of hard work and I’ve had a lot of support throughout the year from staff which has been great. I’m now happy to be done and leaving to start my career in Osteopathy with a big thank you to BCOM!”
BCOM also wishes farewell and the best of luck for the future to Dr Margit Janossa-Tahernia, Mr Brian Joseph and Dr Sharvananda Pathmanandam who are retiring.
“We are extremely proud of our year 4 students who have done so well and wish you all the best of luck for the future with your careers in Osteopathy” said Dr Drysdale, the Principal of BCOM.
June 11
Another successful clinical performance of BCOM final year students!
All students who took the 2011 Final Clinical Competence Assessment (FCC), held this month, have been successful, achieving a 100% pass rate. Once again the external examiners praised the overall high clinical standards, knowledge and professionalism of BCOM's Year 4 students. Mr Manoj Mehta, Head of Clinic & Osteopathy said: “Many congratulations to students and faculty for this excellent outcome. We are very proud of the consistent high achievements by BCOM students during a rather challenging patient-centred clinical competence assessment, moderated by experienced external examiners. We wish the 2011 cohort success in their clinical practice and we are confident that they will continue to develop their personal and professional skills.”
Congratulations to BCOM students and a big thank-you to all the faculty and support staff for the hard work, dedication and support to our students through the years.
March 20
BCOM clinical students were once again busy at this year's Virgin London Marathon, providing post-race sports massage to volunteers who had run to raise funds on behalf of Arthritis Research UK (http://www.arthritisresearchuk.org) Breakthrough Cancer (http://breakthrough.org.uk) and Bliss (http://www.bliss.org.uk).
BCOM's Head of Clinic, Mr Manoj Mehta, Deputy Head of Clinic, Mr Dipak Upadhyay and Senior Clinic tutor, Ms Emma Shanahan supervised three teams of clinical students providing sports massage to Virgin London Marathon runners on Sunday 17th April 2011.
Marathon runners were grateful to BCOM students for the sports massage and advice on self care to promote recovery after a 26 mile run, under the unusually warm weather conditions.
March 29
If you have any questions about an existing or new application for 2011/12 academic year, please contact BCOM’s Academic Registrar, Kasia Tarnowska, on 020 7435 6464 or at kt@bcom.ac.uk.
March 2
BCOM's exercise physiology lecturer Mark Hines has recently completed Yukon, the world's most gruelling race at 430 miles; it is also the coldest. Temperatures sank down to -50c, which caused many competitors to drop out through frostbite. All equipment had to be dragged along on sled. Mark travelled an average of about 55 miles a day and achieved second place. Congratulations, Mark!
January 11
The British College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) has this noticed ayear n increase in the number of post-Christmas patients its Clinic treats for ‘Wii and iPhone strain’. Read more here.
December 20
We at BCOM would like to take the opportunity to wish our students, patients and staff - both past and present - a very Happy Christmas with all best wishes for 2011.
The College closes on 24th December and we will re-open on Tuesday 4th January.
November 8
The 2010 Graduation Ceremony was a day to remember! Our Guest-of-Honour, Sandra Lief-Elliott, the grand-daughter of BCOM founder, Stanley Lief, attended to congratulate each graduate in turn. The excellent bond that the Faculty have with the students was also evident, and commented upon in glowing terms by a member of the GOsC Council who was also present. BCOM wish our new graduates all the very best as they go out to begin their Osteopathic careers.
October 14
BCOM Principal, Dr. Ian Drysdale, features in this week's edition of the Camden New Journal (CNJ) and the front page of the CNJ online. He responds to Camden's plans to issue revellers, in the run up to Christmas, with flip-flops, instead of dangerous stilettos. Whilst it is a laudable initiative, Dr. Drysdale says, it is one that needs more thought, as flip-flops offer no support to the foot.
October 12
BCOM Head of Osteopathy, Manoj Mehta, appeared on the BBC's 'Saints and Scroungers' series last night to comment upon back injuries. Click here for a link to the BBC iPlayer. Manoj comments from 4 mins 55.
October 12
BCOM is calling for nutrition to become a compulsory part of the education of every secondary and university student in the UK. Read more here.
September 30
BCOM Principal, Dr. Ian Drysdale, wrote an opinion piece on the importance of science subjects in our local newspaper, The Hampstead & Highgate Express, otherwise known as the Ham & High. He was responding to the significant increase in GCSE students taking science subjects.
September 9
The latest issue of the BCOM BEE newsletter is now out - BCOM BEE #5 Summer. This issue covers Mark Hines taking up the TGO Challenge, Philip Aarons climbing mountains for charity, FCC 100% pass rate, Dr. Masud Wasel in Russia, and graduation ceremony guest-of-honour. If you haven't yet subscribed, click here.
August 23
The College is pleased to announce that this year's graduation ceremony, to be held on Friday 29th October, will be attended by a guest-of-honour, Sandra Lief-Elliot, who is the grand-daughter of the late Stanley Lief, the founder of BCOM and Champney's. Originally from Latvia, Stanley Lief, after whom our main College building is named, founded BCOM in 1936. He trained under Bernarr MacFadden 'father of physical culture' at his training college in America before returning to set up the Champney's Health Resort in Tring, Hertfordshire and then the British College of Naturopathy, which became BCOM.
August 17
Today's Daily Mail ran a feature on expert health tips, which included BCOM Principal, Dr. Ian Drysdale, who recommended taking a daily cold shower, something that he has been doing for the past 55 years!
August
BCOM Clinic Tutor, Philip Aarons, did something different this summer. He climbed a total of 14,000ft over the four tallest peaks in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - back-to-back. The monster climb, which Philip undertook with several friends, raised about £14,000 for charity, including the children's charity, Barnardo's. Their achievement also made the local newspaper, the Bucks Examiner.
June 24
BCOM's Head of Year 4, Dr. Massud Wasel, recently represented BCOM at the 2010 Osteopathy Symposium, held in St. Petersburg, Russia on 11-14th June. Dr. Wasel delivered a lecture on the holistic approach to osteopahtic conditions, in addition to giving a workshop on muscle energy technique and mobilisation of the spine in osteopathic somatic dysfunction. The symposium attracted a wide range of international figures, such as J.P Guiliani of France and ML Kuchera of the USA.
Dr. Wasel at the symposium - the first on the far left desk.
June 15
BCOM is extremely pleased to announce that the 2010 Final Clinical Competence Assessment (FCC), held this month, has achieved a 100% pass rate. The external examiners commented positively on the overall high clinical standards, knowledge and professionalism of BCOM's Year 4 students. Congratulations and a big thank-you is extended to all for the hard work, dedication and support to our students through the years.
June 8
This year's 8th International Conference on Advances in Osteopathic Medicine, held in Milan, in association with its host, the International College of Osteopathic Medicine, Milan, took place 28th - 30th May. Read more here.
May 29
BCOM researcher Daphne Bird was at the Bristol Vegan Fayre recently offering free ultrasound foot scans as part of the College's ongoing research into the bone health of vegans. For more information about BCOM research, visit the Research pages. For more information about getting a bone scan and about osteoporosis, please visit the Bone Health Clinic page. BCOM is supporting the National Osteoporosis Society's National Osteoporosis Month this June.
20 May
Forget pre-exercise stretching if you want to last the race, new research from BCOM suggests. More here.
13 May
BCOM's approval by the Privy Council for its Masters in Osteopathy has been added to the site of our regulator, the General Osteopathic Council. The College is delighted that we have received the status "Approved Without Conditions".
12 May
BCOM Exercise Physiology Lecturer Mark Hines is competing in the TGO Challenge, a 200-mile high-altitude crossing of Scotland. You can follow his blog here.
4 May
As part of final year students' examination process BCOM can offer free treatment on the following dates: 2, 3, 9, and 10 June 2010. Please call appointments on 020 7435 7830 or email appointments@bcom.ac.uk to book. Please quote FCCA when booking. Subject to availability.
27 April
BCOM students were busy at this year's London Marathon, providing post-race massage to volunteers who had run to raise funds on behalf of Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Bliss Special Care Baby charity.
BCOM Head of Year 3 Clinic Dipak Upadhyay says, "The students had a great day with very useful first-hand experience of treating runners immediately after the run." 14 BCOM students in two teams, under supervision by senior BCOM clinicians saw conditions such as runner's knee, Achilles tendonitis, hamstring, quadricep and back pain, and the old runner's curse, shin splints. "Runners appreciated the massage treatment as well as advice on rest, hydrotherapy, hydration and dietetics to aid recovery," Dipak adds.
27 April
Dr. Drysdale contributes to a feature in today's Daily Mail on the health risks of obesity. He warns: 'For every pound you are overweight, the momentum of running or jumping increases the pressure on the joint by up to ten times.'
20 April
Please note, due to the unforeseen situation with the Icelandic ash cloud causing major travel disruptions, the 8th International Conference on Advances in Osteopathic Medicine, in association with its host, the International College of Osteopathic Medicine, Milan, originally to take place from Fri 23rd April to Sunday 25th April, has been changed to 28th - 30th May 2010.
13 April
Golf is seen as a leisurely activity, yet, according to the latest research conducted by the British College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) into the injuries sustained by amateur golfers, the sport may not be as stress free as many of us imagined. More details here.
12 April
Competitors in this year's London Marathon running to raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Bliss will receive an added bonus when they cross the finish line - a well-earned post-race massage from the final year students of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine. More here.
31 March
BCOM is delighted to announce its CPD programme for 2010/11 to be held on site at its campus in London NW3. The BCOM programme, which will take place during weekends and weekday evenings, seeks to offer areas of interest not commonly featured in the UK osteopathic CPD calendar, including several innovative focuses on areas of increasing importance for the profession, with a stimulating variety of events: Animal Osteopathy; Exercise Physiology; Nutrition; Clinical Pharmacology for Osteopaths; Legal Aspects and Clinic Auditing; Imaging; Research Design. Find out more on our CPD page.
25 March
Spring may have sprung - but beware the garden...
15 March
BCOM Principal, Dr Ian Drysdale, leads the comment in today's national newspaper, The Mirror, on the dangers of the cheaper UGG type boot, characterised in wearers by Dr Drysdale's coining of the term the 'UGG shuffle'. UGG type boots were only ever designed originally as indoor wear, yet now thousands wear them as they would normal outdoor shoes, which is storing up future troubles. The story has also been picked up by The Daily Telegraph, who cover the story and in the Daily Mail, who have covered the story.
10 March
BCOM was at the UCAS HE convention at London's Olympia National Hall last week. BCOM's Registry team were delighted to welcome the many that turned up for further information. Kasia Tarnowska, Registrar, said, "The two days of the Convention were hectic but good fun. We were delighted to meet lots of interesting people from a wide variety of backgrounds, all wanting to pursue a career in osteopathy."
15 February
Ham & High journalist and Marathon runner in training, Susanna Wilkey, recently came into the BCOM Clinic and Human Performance Lab in order to have her fitness levels and bone health tested. She featured the results in a feature for Ham & High supplement, Body & Soul. She was pleased with her results and she's well on her way to running this year's Marathon.
10 February
2 February
Thinking of studying at BCOM? Kasia and Jenny, from the College's Registry team, will be at the UCAS Higher Educations Conventions at Olympia National Hall (stand 28) between 3rd and 5th March 2010. Come along and ask about our Masters in Osteopathy. Email us if you have any questions about studying at BCOM.
22 January
Want to know more about BCOM? Want to get a real sense of what it would be like to be a student here? Take Our Brand-New Virtual Tour.
15 January
BCOM is featured in an article for AOL on winter exercise with expert comment from Mark Hines.
11 January
January 25-29 is National Food Allergy & Intolerance Week and BCOM has highly qualified and experienced spokespersons available to comment on a wide range of allergy and intolerance issues. See full notice here.
4 January
BCOM's 'beware of turkey back' warning made The Daily Express on Christmas Eve - just in time for everyone to take note of potential back strains when putting their turkeys into the oven. It also made the Christmas edition of the Times Higher Education. The warning did not just make UK national press either, it reached India too, in Thaindian news as well as Indian medical news site MedIndia, Newpost Online and Andhranews.net.
22 December - Christmas at BCOM
The College will close for the seasonal holidays on Christmas Eve and will not reopen for business until Monday 4 January 2010. During the Christmas period, the BCOM clinic hours will be as follows:
Monday 21st & Tuesday 22nd December: 9.30am – 12.00pm & 2.30pm – 5.00pm
Wednesday 23rd December: 2pm – 5pm
Thursday 24th December: 9.30am – 12.00pm
Closed 25th December: January 3rd inclusive.
Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th, Thursday 7th January: 9.30am – 12.00pm & 2.30pm – 5.00pm
Wednesday 6th and Friday 8th January: 2pm – 5pm
BCOM wishes all the members of its community - patients and practitioners, students and staff - and indeed all our site visitors, a very prosperous 2010!
The College has just sent its regular newsletter, the BCOM Bee. Subscribe here.
15 December 2009
Bringing the Festive Tottering to Heel
As the festive party-going begins to get into swing The British College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) is this year warning party-goers to beware when it comes to high heels. The BCOM Clinic prepares to treat more patients suffering from ankle injuries in December and January than other times of the year. The increase in ankle injuries comes as women, and men, up and down the country will be toppling over more than usual, as many struggle to get about on heels higher than they would usually wear throughout the rest of the year.
9 December 2009
The Clinic at the British College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) sees an increase in December and January treating a range of Christmas-related complaints. Here are the main culprits, and a few tips on how to avoid the aches and pains of the season:
8 December 2009
Forget turkey neck, beware turkey back!
Beware of ‘turkey back’ over the Christmas period, warns The British College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM). BCOM treats more patients following the Christmas break suffering from aches, pains and strains due to the seemingly simple act of putting the turkey into and taking it out of the oven, as well as the heavier bags of Christmas shopping, resulting in muscle and ligament strains, than at any other time of the year.
7 December 2009
BCOM recently held its graduation ceremony at London's Mermaid Centre. The ceremony was abuzz with students, their proud families and BCOM faculty. BCOM graduates' prospects are particularly rosy, with historically over 95% in full-time employment within three months of graduation. That's why we always say our programmes offer "a degree and a career".
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November 2009
A new set of BCOM graduates look towards a bright future
26 October 2009
This week sees the official launch of free osteopathy treatment for children. The Children's Clinica at The British College of Osteopathic Medicine (BCOM) www.bcom.ac.uk/patients, will be open on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and is available to all children under the age of sixteen.
BCOM in the news
This month's issue of women's glossy magazine, SHE, has a several page feature on ageing. Daphne Bird, who runs the BCOM Bone Scanning clinic, who carried out the bone tests on the women in the feature, has also commented in her capacity as 'bone expert'.
BCOM lecturer, Barry Kleinberg, this month has the first of a four-part series of articles in Osteopathy Today. The October issue also has a call from BCOM Principal, Dr Ian P Drysdale, for more research to be conducted within osteopathy and for osteopathy students to engage early on, with a response by British Osteopathic Association (BOA) Chief Executive, Michael Watson.
7 October 2009
The BCOM Bee has buzzed along with the College's Autumn newsletter. If you didn't receive it, you can always subscribe.
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Press Office Contacts:
PR & Publicity Office
T: 020 7435 64 64
E: pr@bcom.ac.uk
BCOM Spokespeople:
The British College of Osteopathic Medicine has a core group of experts and senior level spokespeople available to comment upon a wide range of osteopathic and naturopathic topics and issues as well as upon issues surrounding complementary/alternative health and higher education.
Manoj Mehta is Head of BCOM's Osteopathy Department and is also senior lecturer in osteopathic techniques, clinic osteopathy and Clinic. He also serves as senior examiner for osteopathic techniques and clinical competency assessments. A BCOM graudate, Manoj has been involved in undergraduate osteopathic education for the past twenty-five years. He has also served on the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), is a member of BCOM's Board of Governors, the Academic Board and the Chairman of the Academic Management Group. Special interests lie within the osteopathic care of sporting injuries.
Daphne Bird is Research Assistant at BCOM, responsible for the running of the CUBAClinical Ultrasound bone scan clinic, the Human Performance Laboratory, and assisting with college research. Daphne graduated from Hatfield Polytechnic (now the
Mark Hines is an Exercise and Human Physiologist at BCOM, responsible for delivering lectures on cardio-respiratory and renal physiology, and for both lectures and practical sessions on applied exercise physiology. Mark is currently working on his PhD in biomechanics in collaboration with the
Dr Kerstin Rolfe is Head of Research at BCOM. Kerstin has a background in Medical Law and Ethics, gaining her LLM at De Montfort University and her PhD in Cancer Biology at UCL. She has extensive experience in heading research for organisations including The Royal Free Department of Plastic Surgery and RAFT, Mount Vernon Hospital Research Institute, and supervised BSc, MD (Res) and PhD students. Kerstin has also been closely involved in setting up a charity and establishing an MSc Programme.
