Introduction to the special issue on osteopathic education
The call for papers for our special issue on osteopathic education was put out in September 2012. We have been delighted by the volume, range and quality of submissions. As a consequence of this, we have elected to publish the papers in two issues. The current issue forms the first part of our education special issues. This brief introduction will be followed by a full editorial in the next issue in the New Year where the context and implications of the submissions will be considered as a whole. Submissions received reflect educational issues and practice across the world of osteopathic education. There are distinct differences between the process and nature of education in the USA and elsewhere in the world and this is reflected in the content of the submissions. Some readers may not be familiar with educational processes in different parts of the world and this will be discussed in more detail in the forthcoming editorial. We anticipate that the collection of papers will enable readers to appreciate the strengths of the different approaches to education in different settings. In addition, it is clear that some issues are transnational, and educators and clinicians alike will benefit from the academic discourse on topics concerning clinical skills, assessment of competence, curricula content, learning methods and minimum criteria for entry into an osteopathic programme of learning. Each of the two issues contains commentaries, original research and reviews.