Osteopath
What the work is
Prevents, diagnoses and treats tissue strains, stresses and dysfunctions of the neuromusculoskeletal system, and provides advice on preventing these disorders.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Diagnoses, manages and treats neuromusculoskeletal disorders through a biopsychosocial approach
- Employs a variety of medical testing procedures, including neuromusculoskeletal, functional and mobility tests, to identify and assess physical problems
- Designs, reviews, monitors, assesses and evaluates treatment plans and programs
- Records patients' medical histories, treatments and management plans, and creates progress reports
- Communicates and liaises with other Health Professionals in relation to patients' management and progress
- Provides advice and instructions to patients, families and carers in a range of therapeutic management techniques
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a clinic and workshop where artificial limbs and supportive braces are designed and fitted. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A teenager takes their first confident steps on a limb you built for them
- A patient comes in for an adjustment and mentions they ran for a bus
- The workshop smells of resin and you finish something that fits perfectly
Hard days
- A fitting that is almost right, and a patient who is tired of coming back
- A deadline from a client who wants a device in time for an event
- Explaining to someone that their expectations are higher than a device can deliver
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 262932, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.