What are the benefits of attending a SOMM course?
• Highly respected courses that provide a pathway to extended and advanced clinical practice.
• Practical courses with lots of time to perfect techniques.
• High tutor/student ratio and a wealth of clinical experience to draw from.
• MSc pathway that enables students to advance their clinical skills and gain academic recognition.
• Support from expert tutors.
• Continually refined courses in response to student feedback.
• Strong theoretical basis and applied anatomy.
• Access to comprehensive handbooks and workbooks.
• Update days to enable continued learning.
• In-depth support across the entire pathway with online resources.
The SOMM Foundation in Musculoskeletal Medicine Course
The Foundation Course comprises 3 units. Units 1 & 2 can be taken in either order but must be completed before attending Unit 3. An exam is usually taken after Unit 3 and this, with completion of a portfolio reflective essay and professional development plan leads to the SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine.
The Foundation module provides core training that enables doctors, allied health professionals and nurses to examine, diagnose and treat the common musculoskeletal disorders accurately thereby enhancing patient care and service delivery. As well as being really useful clinically, the units provide the starting point for an academic pathway that will help to further develop clinician skills and knowledge.
The Foundation module will benefit clinicians working with musculoskeletal patients in all settings including hospital out-patients, sport, general practice, orthopaedics, armed forces and private practice.
The module aims to:
• Extend knowledge in functional anatomy and biomechanics
• Develop competence in joint examination, assessment, clinical diagnosis and treatment including manual treatment, exercise and injection techniques
• Enhance clinical reasoning and evaluation supported by relevant references
Key requirements to qualify for the Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine:
• Units 1 & 2 can be taken in either order, followed by Unit 3 and the completion of an exam. This, plus a portfolio reflective essay (to demonstrate your achievement of the learning outcomes of the module), and personal development plan leads to the SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine.
The SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine, worth 60 credits, is credit rated by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and is accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
The SOMM Diploma in Injection Therapy
Structure of the course
This module will use a range of teaching/learning strategies including lectures, demonstrations, practical sessions, group work, case-based discussions and tutorials.
There are two units in this module, with six months between unit 1 & unit 2.
Unit 1 (3 days)– A combination of lectures, demonstrations, practical sessions, group work, case-based discussion and tutorials will be used to provide the background theory, current evidence and practical skills in injection therapy. The following topics will be covered:
1. Introduction of musculoskeletal injection therapy
2. Basic clinical pharmacology
3. Corticosteroid
4. Local anaesthetics
5. Other injection therapy options such as hyaluronic acid (HA) and platelet rich plasma (PRP)
6. Legal framework
7. Adverse event management
8. Injection therapy equipment
9. Needle proprioception workshop
10. Dosage guidelines
11. Anatomically-guided injection techniques in common MSK conditions in upper limbs and lower limbs
12. Assessment guidelines at Master’s level
Inter-modular period
There is a period of directed learning between the two units where students are required to perform 10 supervised injections to be included within their portfolio. You will be required to arrange an eligible supervisor(s) e.g. MSK physiotherapists with injection therapy experience of over 3 years or a medical practitioner with MSK injection therapy experience, prior to the course.
Unit 2 (2 days) – as well as the theoretical and practical teaching/learning strategies mentioned above, Unit 2 includes:
1. Tutorials
2. Practical review
3. Critical appraisal of research evidence
4. Case study discussion
5. Supervised review session
6. Practical viva examination
Professional groups who are eligible:
1. Registered allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, podiatrists, osteopaths
2. Registered medical doctors, such as general practitioners or sports and exercise medicine doctors
3. Other registered professionals, such as advanced nurse practitioners, who fulfil the entry requirements
Entry requirement:
1. HCPC/GMC registration, or registration with other relevant regulatory body, with professional indemnity insurance
2. Access to MSK patients while attending the course
3. Clinical experience of at least 3 years, in which at least 1 year clinical experience in MSK
4. Evidence of MSK post graduate training. E.g. SOMM diploma of musculoskeletal medicine and/or
a. Evidence of relevant post-graduate MSK training/ courses with
Higher Education Institutes and/or
b. Evidence of stage 1 +/- stage 2 of HEE MSK FCP Roadmap and/or
c. Evidence of AP MSK standards
Assessment format:
Formative assessment:
1. Tutor feedback throughout module, particularly on practical skills.
2. Designated supervisor’s feedback during inter-modular period
3. Case study discussion and critical appraisal of research articles
Summative assessment:
Students will demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes by completing, and passing all three assessment components:
1. Submission of a supervised injection portfolio providing evidence of a minimum of 10 supervised injections – Core pass/fail component
2. Practical viva examination, with competency and safety pass/fail component – (50% pass mark)
3. Submission of a case study of 2,500 words detailing an injection treatment conducted by the student (50% pass mark)