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Student forum

We want to listen to the views of osteopathy students on our work, to inform our decisions and to make sure the student voice is captured throughout our work.

The information on this page is also available in Welsh: Fforwm myfyrwyr

As a student, if you decide to become a member of the forum, you will receive:

  • £30 voucher for every 1.5 hour meeting you attend (up to 4 meetings a year)
  • Support and optional training to take part in discussions
  • Opportunities to engage with students from other education providers and build your professional network
  • Opportunities to learn more about the work of the regulator and to inform the GOsC’s thinking and decision making on policies that will affect students and osteopaths in the future

Next meeting

The forum’s next meeting will likely take place in October 2026 once the new academic year has started. 

If you’re interested in joining our mailing list for the forum or would just like to find out more, please contact us on:

How feedback from the Forum is informing our work

Supporting students to transition from education to practice

Students mentioned the need for mentoring support, CPD or regional groups:

  • We have been contacting all individuals on our list of regional groups to see if the group still exists, to identify gaps across the country in terms of regional CPD support. We have also been encouraging osteopaths to contact us if they run a small local or online CPD group and would be happy to welcome other osteopaths. We are keeping our website updated with this information.
  • We are planning a series of webinars for newly qualified osteopaths (new graduates) in the autumn 2026 on how to approach your first three year CPD cycle which will include tips on building your professional network as an osteopath.

Students mentioned the negativity towards the GOsC in the profession and how the GOsC can combat this, for example with the Gilly Woodhouse podcast:

Communicating with students across our website, email and social media

Students asked for more fresh, exclusive content tailored directly to students

Students asked for clear guidance on registration steps and practical advice for the final months before graduation

  • We are taking a more targeted and timely approach to communicating with final year students about registration following the Forum’s feedback. We reviewed and updated our email about the process, making the language more accessible and setting out in the information about what to do in a more digestible format. We delivered presentations for final year students on how and why to register, running through the process and explaining the value of being registered, and are planning webinars in the autumn for newly qualified osteopaths on how to complete their first three year CPD cycle.
How the Osteopathic Practice Standards can be updated

Students suggested the standards could be clearer on expectations for osteopaths using social media and advertising:

  • These are both areas of the standards that the GOsC’s Osteopathic Practice Standards (OPS) stakeholder reference group is looking at this year in preparation for a public consultation on changes to the standards in 2027.
  • We have reviewed and updated our guidance for osteopaths on using social media to include case studies relevant to the concerns we are receiving about osteopaths using social media.

Students from the Forum have joined our OPS stakeholder reference group to continue providing feedback on how the GOsC can update the standards.

How the GOsC checks and assures the quality of osteopathy education

Students suggested that surveys for students must be as short as possible, avoid use of the term ‘survey’ and be incentivised:

  • Our Student Forum feedback form has taken account of this feedback
  • We are developing a survey for graduates to more directly capture the student experience in our quality assurance processes, which will take account of this feedback.