On February 17^th, 2023, osteopathic students from all over the world gathered for the Virtual International Student Day (VISD) 2023, an event that aimed to connect students and provide them with valuable insights into the field of osteopathy. OsEAN organises the event once a year and this was the 3^rd VISD organised so far, the first one was in 2021.  The Virtual International Student Day gives a platform for students to network with each other and learn from international teachers.

This year’s VISD was the first in a series of three which focus on the philosophy and identity of the osteopath, and how these have evolved over time. The topic was concentrating on the history - “Osteopathic Identities in a Changing World: History”. The following two events will concentrate on philosophy and principles in 2024 and on Identity in 2025.
The Virtual International Student Day 2023 was a resounding success, with 350 participants from various countries, in Europe including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the rest of the world: Argentina, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates, United States. Some participants marked the cities there were in at that moment and this is how the map below was created.

We have invited well known international speakers with whom we retrospectively went through the history of osteopathy, starting with the concept of somatic dysfunction and the role it currently plays in our discipline (Giacomo Consorti - Reconceptualizing Somatic Dysfunction in the Light of a Neuroaesthetic Enactive Paradigm). We continued going back in time and talked about how osteopathy spread throughout the world and gave rise to different currents of approach and practice of the profession (Raimund Engel - The 7 Drivers of Change - Osteopathic Education in 21st Century Europe). Further back in time, we travelled with W.G. Sutherland (Jane Stark - The Chronology and Context of William Garner Sutherland’s Contribution to Osteopathy.), and finished with A.T. Still and the origin of Osteopathy (Jason Haxton - Key Incidents that Led to Dr. A.T. Still's Ultimate Discovery of Osteopathy.).

The lectures were followed by a Q&A session, where participants had the opportunity to ask questions and get advice from the experts. In addition to the lectures, there were also breakout sessions where students could engage with each other and share their experiences.

The Virtual International Student Day 2023 was well-received by the participants, who praised the organizers for creating a platform that allowed them to connect with other students and learn from experts in the field.

We are looking forward to welcoming all students back in February 2024 for the second part of the series concentrating on “Osteopathic Identities in a Changing World: Philosophy and principles”.