FAQS
Below are some of our FAQs you may find helpful. Click the buttons below to jump to each section.
If you have any other queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
The module is open to all HCPC Registered Professionals, registered Nurses, registered Medical Practitioners, post-graduate degree Sports Therapists and registered Osteopaths (or those with an overseas equivalent qualification).
All courses are booked and paid for via the SOMM website. Invoices can only be raised by contacting the office and should be settled 6 weeks prior to the course commencement date. Please contact the SOMM office for further information: admin@sommcourses.org
All bookings are completed via the SOMM website. It is possible for your employer to visit the website on your behalf. Alternatively, we can provide letter headed receipts in order for you to claim your course fees back from your employer. If this is not possible, please contact the SOMM office to discuss alternatives: admin@sommcourses.org
Yes, all SOMM courses can be paid for in instalments, providing payment is received in full in advance of the first day of the course. Please contact the SOMM office for further information: admin@sommcourses.org
No. All students should have a professional qualification, and should be registered with the appropriate professional body. Students based within the European Economic Area (EEA) will need to provide evidence of registration with their equivalent home organisation. International students (i.e. outside the EEA) will need to have a current visa to study in the UK. All students in the categories above should be able to provide evidence of opportunities to practise musculoskeletal medicine.
The SOMM membership exam is taken on the final day of Unit 3.
We encourage all students to take the exam at this time but if you have any concerns please speak to the Module Coordinator and/or Tutor.
- True/False paper 75% pass mark with no negative marking.
- Practical viva 50% pass mark (may video record)
20 working days is the normal maximum number of days to get your results to you. In busy times it may be slightly longer, especially if your work needs to be moderated by Queen Margaret University (QMU) or the External Examiner.
You will have two years to re-sit the part you failed, or you will need to sit the whole exam again i.e. both parts.
The SOMM Diploma course is normally completed within 12-24 months. The course allows flexibility but a gap of four months between each unit is recommended, to provide time for practice and assimilation of techniques.
The reflective essay and personal development plan are completed to gain the SOMM Diploma after the Membership exams have been passed. These need to be submitted within two years of passing the exams but students normally aim to gain the SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine within approximately six months after passing their exams.
The SOMM Diploma is Credit Rated Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
The SOMM Diploma is worth 60 master’s level credits.
It’s best to enquire with the specific university since the full 60 credits may not be accepted, depending on the subject of the master’s programme. All universities vary slightly so you will need to ask the university you wish to transfer the credits to what their process is.
The SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine is awarded upon successful completion of Units 1, 2 and 3, having passed the membership exam and reflective essay with personal development plan. You are then entitled to use the post nominals MSOMM.
Case report one is prepared during the first inter-unit period and is based on a peripheral lesion encountered in clinical practice, supported by relevant references.
Case report two is prepared during the second inter-unit period and is based on a spinal lesion encountered in clinical practice, supported by relevant references.
Both case reports are referenced and are 2,500 words in length. Feedback is given by a tutor.
The case reports are not compulsory but are recommended to consolidate learning.
The case reports are included in your professional development portfolio as evidence of the achievement of the learning outcomes. This evidence is valuable for the summative reflective essay.
You will also be encouraged to review the content of each unit as you progress through the module.
Experienced SOMM teaching fellows travel the country to teach on the SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine modules. The Module Coordinator and tutor you have on Unit 1 may differ from the Module Coordinator and tutor you have on Unit 2.
Registration will take place at 8.30am on the first day of any Foundation Module Unit. Day 2 and day 3 will start at 9am and finish at 5pm. Day 4 will start at 9am and finish at 3pm. We do however, reserve the right to make changes to these times without prior notice. Students will be sent specific course times with their pre course email information.
The SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine must be completed within two years of passing the Membership exams.
The reflective essay asks you to demonstrate with evidence that you have achieved the learning outcomes of the SOMM Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine module and it’s important that the evidence provided for that relates to current or very recent practice.
If you passed your Membership exams within the previous 2 years you may submit your reflective essay in the usual way. If more than 2 years have elapsed, you may submit your reflective essay but you must complete an additional piece of work that includes a reflection that you have continued to practise at the level achieved when you passed the Membership Exam.
The reflection requested should be cross-referred to evidence within the essay so that it’s clear that you are up to date. This is best done by making reference to your CV and the specific roles held since passing the Membership Exams. There is a fee for marking this.
The personal development plan looks forward, so will be relevant whenever you complete your reflective essay.
Please contact the SOMM office for further information
Please contact the SOMM office and our team will happily email you some tips and guideline documents.
You do not have to repeat Units 1 and 2 again but you need to commit to doing a considerable amount of reading and revision of all previous material to refresh yourself. There may be some changes and updates of techniques but these will be reviewed on the Unit 3.
THEORY & PRACTICE OF INJECTION THERAPY
The ‘Theory and Practice of Injection Therapy’ module is open to all HCPC registered Professionals such as MSK physiotherapists, podiatrists and osteopaths, and registered Medical Practitioners such as general practitioners and sports and exercise medicine doctors. Whilst the Foundation course is open to post-graduate Sport Therapists, the Injection Therapy course isn’t. They must have satisfied the assessment requirements of the Foundation in Musculoskeletal Medicine module; or fulfilled the entry requirements of this module (please refer to Injection Therapy Module section). They must be working within the scope of musculoskeletal practice and must be practising within the professional and legal framework of the country where they have agreement for appropriate supervision (guidelines will be provided). Successful completion of SOMM’s Foundation in Musculoskeletal Medicine module is highly recommended. (See FAQ below.)
Not necessarily but you must be able to provide evidence that you have studied musculoskeletal medicine at a postgraduate level and are experienced in working with musculoskeletal lesions.
To attend our ‘Theory and Practice of Injection Therapy’ module, you should be an experienced practitioner wishing to integrate these skills into the clinical management of patients with musculoskeletal disorders. It is important that in acquiring injection therapy skills you will be practising within the professional and legal framework of the country in which you are working, with appropriate supervision in place as you progress through the module.
If students haven’t completed the Foundation in Musculoskeletal Medicine module, it will help them to do some pre-course reading to review anatomy and surface marking. The textbook ‘A Practical Approach to Musculoskeletal Medicine’ was written to accompany SOMM’s Foundation in Musculoskeletal Medicine module and is a useful reference for review (ATKINS, E., GOODLAD, E., CHAN-BRADDOCK, S 2023. A practical approach to musculoskeletal medicine -assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. 5th ed. Oxford: Elsevier.
Before attending the injection therapy module, it is essential that a supervisor and route for obtaining the relevant drugs (under PGD/PSD) are in place in order to support your inter-unit course work (i.e. the portfolio of a minimum of ten supervised injections).
We mainly go through the use, side effects, efficacy and effectiveness of common corticosteroids (e.g. Kenalog) and local anaesthetics (e.g. Lidocaine) in MSK practice. Their use, mechanism and side-effects in joints and soft tissue pathologies are included and current evidence will be discussed.
Other injections are included, such as hyaluronic acid (HA) injections (Ostenil), Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and Autologous Whole Blood (AWB) injections.’
Regrettably not. It is the responsibility of the student to have a supervisor in place for the 10 supervised injections, prior to attending Unit 1.
Yes – it is possible to have more than one supervisor but normally no more than three.