What are the demographics and motivations of students who choose to study Osteopathy in the United Kingdom?
Item
- Title
- What are the demographics and motivations of students who choose to study Osteopathy in the United Kingdom?
- Author(s)
- Gauthier, Patrick
- Abstract
- BackgroundThe continued independence and development of the osteopathic profession in the United Kingdom is reliant on the ability of osteopathic colleges to recruit students of sufficient number and ability. To ensure the professions continued success it is important to identify what motivates prospective students to study osteopathy. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to identify the factors that motivated students to choose osteopathy as a career and which factors influenced students to choose their Osteopathic Educational Institution (OEI). MethodsThe study was designed as a cross-sectional survey using self-completion paper questionnaires and self-completion electronic questionnaires that were distributed to all participating osteopathic colleges in the United Kingdom. ResultsOne hundred and eighty eight students responded to the study. The majority considered the desire to help others (72%, n=130), working independently (48%, n=87), and the osteopathic approach to healthcare (44%, n=80) to be extremely important motivating factors for studying osteopathy. A majority also considered the offering of a recognized qualification (70%, n=127) and being made to feel welcome (54%, n=97) as extremely important to their osteopathic college. Discussion and ConclusionFurther research is needed which considers the motivations of students at all osteopathic colleges. Future research should also be conducted on a yearly basis, which will allow OEI’s to identify significant changes in motivations over a longer period of time.
- presented at
- British College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Date Accepted
- 2015
- Date Submitted
- 13.11.2018 13:59:16
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Number of pages
- 20
- Submitted by:
- 4457
- Pub-Identifier
- 16305
- Inst-Identifier
- 1076
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Gauthier, Patrick, “What are the demographics and motivations of students who choose to study Osteopathy in the United Kingdom?”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 5, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/2042