The Canadian Academy of Osteopathy
Delivering Comprehensive Osteopathy Education For 22 Years
The Canadian Academy of Osteopathy (CAO) is a leader in osteopathic education in Canada and internationally.
Founded in 2003 this institution is dedicated to training future osteopathic manual practitioners at the highest international standards.
The CAO offers a rigorous 4,200-hour program that combines in-depth academic study with extensive hands-on training. The curriculum is built on osteopathic principles, emphasizing the relationship between structure and function, and providing students with a deep understanding of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics. Students progress from foundational labs to advanced clinical practice, ultimately treating real patients in the school’s public charity clinic under professional supervision, in the final year of the program.
The CAO is recognized for its commitment to excellence, having established the first Type 1 osteopathy program in Canada that aligns with the World Health Organization’s benchmarks. Its graduates are known for their high level of skill, clinical reasoning, and professionalism, making them leaders in the growing field of osteopathy.
Our Principal, Robert Johnston
Our principal Robert Johnston, has worked in manual therapy for nearly 40 years, in osteopathy for over 22 years. He has trained in Canada, the US, and the UK. Mr. Johnston has written 7 books on osteopathy. Some of which are used in Osteopathic schools around Canada and the world. Mr Johnston steers all curriculum at the CAO ensuring all subjects dovetail into one another and come together on the treatment table. Learn from a thought leader in the field of osteopathy who understands where osteopathy came from, but more importantly . . . where it’s going!
Features of the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy include
Two campuses; Hamilton, ON and Calgary, AB
State of the art classroom labs and clinical facilities
World class professional faculty
Extensive private osteopathic library collection of resources, including original documents from the 1800s
A Rewarding Future Career
Graduates of the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy are eligible to join OSTCAN (Osteopathy Canada). As an OSTCAN-approved institution, the CAO has undergone rigorous audits to ensure best practices in its curriculum, which includes supervised clinical training and a comprehensive osteopathic program.At CAO, we focus on teaching the principles of osteopathy, not just techniques. This approach helps students develop critical thinking skills, preparing them to treat using a comprehensive osteopathic methodology, enabling them to handle complex cases in their professional practice.
We’re proud to have provided over 100,000 free treatments to the public. Our services to the community are valued at over $8 million in free osteopathic care!
CAO Student Council
Strengthening the Community
We are so proud that the CAO has its own Student Council representing the student body at the school. Each individual class at the CAO has a student representative (or two) who sit on the Council and help make decisions that will strengthen the student community and, as a result, the school environment as a whole. Through events such as pub crawls, pot-luck lunches, and pancake breakfasts, students are encouraged to foster greater connections in the school, a support system we hope will continue into their professional career.
Along with student community relations, the Student Council is dedicated to community action with annual food drives for the Food Bank, holiday toy drives, and fundraising for a variety of charities.
Students are encouraged to participate in Student Council activities, allowing them the opportunity to create meaningful connections with other students, partake in charitable community activities, and foster conversations on how to improve the high-level student experience and learning environment at the CAO.
The CAO is a place where you grow, you grow in your intelligence, you grow in maturity, you also grow in personal strength, and work ethic, and endurance. This school really brought out my best qualities.