Dr Shawn Pourgol

05/09/2026

The RMO – Registered Manual Osteopath title was copyrighted by me, in 2019. It has been renewed on September 03, 2026. The title is granted through the College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO) to manual osteopaths who meet its rigorous membership, educational, clinical, and examination requirements.

Beginning January 1, 2027, the RMO title will also be available to qualifying ACMA members, as ACMA members will also be required to hold membership with CRMO and meet the requirements for the RMO designation.

05/09/2026

I wish to congratulate my student, Registered Manual Osteopath Loretta Penetrante, on becoming the first member of the College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO) to join ACMA under the new joint initiative adopted by ACMA to ensure its members become Registered Manual Osteopaths (RMOs).

This is an important milestone for our profession.

ACMA and CRMO are now two Canadian professional associations requiring their members to hold the RMO designation. We hope that, in time, more professional associations will follow this example and adopt the RMO standard. Internationally, the International Osteopathic Association and the American Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners have already joined this initiative.
At the heart of this movement is one important goal: protecting the public.

Unfortunately, there are individuals entering the profession with extremely limited education and training. Some programs reportedly provide as little as 46 hours of instruction, while others offer short seminars or certificate programs that may lead graduates to present themselves as manual osteopathic practitioners.

We believe the public deserves a clear way to distinguish practitioners who have completed comprehensive education, substantial supervised clinical training, professional examinations, and additional training in areas such as ethics, insurance fraud prevention, and sexual abuse prevention.

The RMO designation is intended to provide that distinction. RMOs must meet rigorous educational and clinical requirements, including more than 2,000 hours of education, over 1,000 hours of clinical practice, and successful completion of written and practical board examinations, along with required professional courses.
The public deserves access to safe, effective, and ethical manual osteopathic care.

Registered Manual Osteopaths are answering that call by working toward a higher and more consistent professional standard.
Congratulations again, Loretta, on being the first to take this important step under the new ACMA–CRMO initiative. I hope many more will follow your example.

04/09/2026

ACMA & CRMO MEMBERS – IMPORTANT CLARIFICATIONS

It seems most CRMO members are comfortable with the changes, as they are simply joining ACMA before the 2027 deadline.
I am hearing more concerns from ACMA members, particularly about the board exams. So I want to put your minds at ease.
YOU, MY STUDENTS, ARE MY #1 PRIORITY. ❤️

I have done everything I can to make this transition to CRMO as smooth, affordable, and stress-free as possible.

Here are answers to the most common questions I am receiving:
You DO NOT need to take the board exams in September. You simply need to contact CRMO and begin the registration process in September to qualify for the $2,500 ACMA board exam grant.
You DO NOT need to begin your CRMO membership immediately. You can start the registration process now and request that your membership begin January 1, 2027, saving the $400 membership fee for 2026.
PLEASE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE BOARD EXAMS! We will make sure you are prepared. If we have to tutor you individually to help you prepare, we will!
The FREE $1,000 National Academy of Osteopathy continuing education gift is for ALL eligible ACMA members—not only CRMO members or NAO graduates.
ALL eligible ACMA and CRMO members will be included in the new Registered Manual Osteopath public directory to help increase their visibility and potential patient referrals—not only NAO graduates.
For those who prefer to take the board exams in French, French examinations will be available.
You DO NOT need to complete continuing education twice. The same eligible CE program can be used toward fulfilling both ACMA and CRMO requirements.
ACMA and CRMO are two independent associations. ACMA membership fees are paid to ACMA, and CRMO membership fees are paid separately to CRMO.
I am told Dr. Desforges plans to email ACMA members this afternoon. I sincerely thank him for taking time away from personal matters to address members directly. I know he has been very busy, but I also understand that ACMA members wanted to hear directly from their president.
Finally, RMO is NOT about exclusivity or creating a monopoly.
It is about raising professional standards, supporting qualified practitioners, and helping ensure that the Canadian public has access to safe, effective, and ethical manual osteopathic care.

We are working hard to make this transition as easy as possible for everyone. ❤️

03/09/2026

RMO: Helping Protect the Public and Strengthen Manual Osteopathy

Did you know that there are individuals practicing as manual osteopaths in Canada who may not have adequate education or clinical training?

Unfortunately, we have documented cases of individuals calling themselves manual osteopaths after completing only a weekend course, and others after programs involving as little as 46 hours of instruction. We have helped closed a number of such schools over the years but new ones keep opening up. Situations like these highlight the importance of having a clear professional designation that the public can recognize and trust.

The RMO (Registered Manual Osteopath) designation is awarded by the College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO) and is now required by ACMA, as well as recognized or required by a number of other professional organizations, including the American Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners and the International Osteopathic Association.

Becoming an RMO is not simply a matter of paying a membership fee. Applicants must meet comprehensive educational and professional standards. These include more than 2,000 hours of osteopathic education, 1,000 hours of academically supervised clinical education, successful completion of written and practical board examinations, no criminal background, having sufficient malpractice insurance, and additional education in important areas such as insurance fraud prevention and sexual abuse prevention.

Our goal is simple: when members of the public see the RMO designation, we want them to understand that the practitioner has met established standards of education, clinical preparation, ethics, and professional competency.

We are also in the process of hiring a public relations firm to help educate Canadians through traditional and social media about the RMO designation. We plan to communicate its meaning to the public, insurance companies, government bodies, and other organizations so that RMO becomes a recognizable indication of a qualified manual osteopath.

Ultimately, the RMO designation is about public protection. Patients deserve to know that the person providing their manual osteopathic care has appropriate education, clinical training, and professional preparation. They deserve access to care that is safe, effective, and ethical.

Osteopathy also has important connections to Indigenous healing traditions and knowledge and it is considered a heritage of Indigenous Peoples. The College of Registered Manual Osteopaths is owned and operated by Indigenous Peoples and has a Council of Elders that provides oversight and guidance to its operations, including its commitment to respecting and protecting Indigenous Peoples' relationship with this profession.

By establishing meaningful standards and helping the public understand what RMO represents, we hope to protect patients while strengthening the credibility, professionalism, and future of manual osteopathy.

02/09/2026

To the kind person who found my wallet and turned it in to the bookstore manager, a huge thank you!

You saved me from so much stress and headache, and I am truly grateful for your honesty and kindness. It is wonderful to know there are still such good-hearted people in this world.

God bless you for being such a wonderful human being! 🙏❤️

02/09/2026

The College of Registered Manual Osteopaths application fee is payable at the time you submit your application. However, you can choose when you would like your CRMO membership to officially begin.
For example, you can apply to CRMO now, complete the board exams, submit all required documents, and choose to have your membership start on January 1, 2027. This way, you can avoid paying the 2026 annual membership fee.
There is no need to pay the CRMO membership fee now unless you wish to activate your membership in 2026.

02/09/2026

The College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO) is preparing a comprehensive study guide to help applicants who wish to become Registered Manual Osteopaths (RMO) feel confident and well prepared for both the written and practical board examinations.

Please do not worry about the board exams. We understand that the thought of taking an examination can feel stressful, particularly for practitioners who graduated many years ago and have been busy working in clinical practice rather than studying for exams.

Our goal is not to make the examinations unnecessarily difficult or to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite—we want to help you succeed. We will do our best to ensure that applicants know what to expect and have the opportunity to properly prepare before taking the examinations.

The examinations are designed to confirm that practitioners are current on important areas such as professional ethics, patient safety, common clinical situations, appropriate standards of care, and practices that help prevent insurance fraud and protect both practitioners and patients.

A comprehensive study guide will be provided free of charge to applicants so you can review the relevant material at your own pace and refresh your knowledge before the examinations.

And please remember: if, despite your preparation, you do not pass an examination on your first attempt, there is no reason to panic. You will have the opportunity to rewrite the examination free of charge.

We want this to be a supportive process, not a stressful one. Whether you graduated recently or many years ago, we will make every effort to help you prepare, refresh your knowledge, and approach the board examinations with confidence.

So please relax and do not be afraid of the exams. You are not being left on your own to prepare. We will provide you with guidance and support throughout the process. Our goal is to help qualified practitioners successfully meet the RMO standards while continuing to provide safe, effective, and ethical care to their patients.

01/09/2026

Mandatory RMO Title for ACMA Members Effective January 1, 2027

We are pleased to share an important new development aimed at strengthening the manual osteopathy profession in Canada and supporting high standards of patient care.

RMO – Registered Manual Osteopath is a copyrighted professional title issued by the College of Registered Manual Osteopaths (CRMO). The RMO designation indicates that a manual osteopath has successfully completed rigorous written and practical board examinations, as well as at least 1,000 hours of supervised clinical practice, in line with recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

As part of a broader effort among organizations in the manual osteopathy profession to promote consistent professional standards and public protection, the Canadian Alliance of Alternative Medicine (ACMA) has decided that the RMO designation will become mandatory for all current and new ACMA members effective January 1, 2027.

The goal is simple: to give patients greater confidence that an RMO has met established educational, clinical, and examination standards necessary to provide safe, ethical, and effective manual osteopathic care.

All current ACMA members, as well as those wishing to join ACMA, are encouraged to contact CRMO and begin the registration process. Beginning January 1, 2027, current ACMA members will be required to hold CRMO membership and the RMO designation in order to renew their ACMA membership.

We also have some great news! During September 2026, ACMA will cover the full $2,500 cost of the CRMO board examinations for its current and new members. To benefit from this special grant, eligible applicants must register with CRMO during the month of September.

We extend our sincere appreciation to ACMA President Dr. Sylvain Desforges, an osteopath, chiropractor, naturopath, and graduate of National University of Medical Sciences (Spain), for his dedication and hard work in advancing professional standards and helping protect the Canadian public.

This is an exciting step forward for manual osteopathy in Canada and toward ensuring that patients can more easily identify practitioners who have demonstrated the qualifications and competencies expected of Registered Manual Osteopaths.

Together, we can continue building a stronger, safer, and more respected manual osteopathy profession in Canada.

31/08/2026

30/08/2026

🎓 A Proud Day at National Academy of Osteopathy! 🎓

Yesterday was Graduation Day at National Academy of Osteopathy (NAO), and what an incredible day it was!

This was our largest class in the past 16 years. More than 60 students attended our two-week practical technique program in Toronto, with students travelling from around the world, including Martinique, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Argentina. About 40 students completed our p1 year campus-based DOMP program, while many more joined us online from across the globe.

I have never signed so many diplomas in one day! 😊

To all our graduates: Congratulations! You worked hard, you made it, and you are now part of our worldwide osteopathic family. We are incredibly proud of you.

And remember—our support does not end with graduation. Once you become part of the NAO family, our support is for life.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🎓🌎❤️

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