STOA-Medicines – Swiss School of Veterinary Osteopathy
STOA-Medicines is a postgraduate academy founded in 2016 by Dr. Sarah Miccichè Walzinger and Dr. Jean-Marc Hames. Both passionate veterinarians, they created the school to share their enthusiasm for osteopathy and complementary medicine with colleagues across Europe.
Our philosophy is inspired by Switzerland’s values of neutrality, multiculturality, and openness. STOA-Medicines unites veterinarians of diverse nationalities and professional backgrounds, most of them experienced in conventional medicine, who share a common goal: to broaden their understanding of health and disease through research and integrative practice.
The training consists of 25 three-day modules spread over three years. It combines anatomy, neurology, imaging, and clinical sciences with the full range of osteopathic techniques—structural, fascial, visceral, cranio-sacral, and energetic. Practical training with animals is central, enabling participants to develop palpation skills, clinical reasoning, and safe, effective manual techniques.
All lecturers are veterinary osteopaths, some trained by the pioneers of the discipline in Europe. They share not only their technical knowledge, but also their passion for therapies that place the patient–therapist relationship at the center.
As a non-profit association, STOA-Medicines reinvests its resources into research, international exchange, and social projects. Since 2022, the diploma of STOA-Medicines has been officially accredited by camvet.ch, allowing graduates to apply for the SVS Certificate of Capacity