Richard Koss DO

C-SPOMM

C-ACOFP

Undergraduate college: Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts. Summa cum laude, 1976. Attended A. T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, graduating in 1982. Rotating internship at Normandy Osteopathic Hospitals, Saint Louis, Missouri, 1983. Family practice in United States Air Force from 1983 to 1987. First station was at McCord Air Force Base in Washington. Last three years was at Robins Air Force Base Hospital, Robins Air Force Base, Warner Robins, Georgia. Chief of Family practice department, Chief of Emergency Services, Flight Surgeon and chief of Air Transportable Clinic. After military service commitment, Dr. Koss returned to ATSU, KCOM for the one year Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine residency from 1987 to 1988. He joined the faculty in the Osteopathic Principles and Practice department as assistant professor until 1990 when he joined the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Department at University of North Texas Health Science Center in Ft. Worth, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. There he was assistant department chair. In 1991 Dr. Koss sat for and passed the specialty board exams for the American Osteopathic board of Family Practice as well as the board of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. From 1999 until the present, Dr. Koss has been in private practice specializing in Osteopathic manipulative Medicine.

Dr. Koss took his first percussion hammer course from Dr. Fulford in 1987 and again in 1988 as an OMM resident at KCOM. He was table trainer for Dr. Fulford in 1989 in the course at Boulder City, NV. In 1990 Dr. Fulford asked Dr. Koss to give the paper on the bio-electric properties of fascia at the 1990 AAO Convocation in Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1990 till Dr. Fulford’s passing, Dr. Koss assisted in the teaching of this unique and powerful procedure in Osteopathic philosophy. In the mid 1990’s there were 6 to 7 courses presented each year. As Dr. Fulford kept studying, learning, and presenting new and innovative concepts and techniques, it was necessary to have a basic and an advanced percussion hammer course.

 Dr. Koss has taught osteopathic principles and practice at ATSU-KCOM and then at UNTHSC-TCOM for over 10 years. He received “educator of the year” award at TCOM in 1998. He has spent the last 20 years in private OMM practice in Maple Valley, Washington, applying the principles and procedures taught by one of the last great osteopathic physicians. Dr. Fulford had no protégés. He felt it was up to each individual to learn the wisdom and philosophy of Dr. Still, Sutherland and other great physicians. To be of service to, and to heal the ill and infirmed was Dr. Fulford’s humble mission. His results are beyond comprehension even in today’s standards.

Dr. Koss has been teaching Dr. Fulford’s work in Japan, Italy, Switzerland, and has invitations for future teaching in Brazil, France, and Russia.

 The Fulford Percussion Hammer courses are a compilation of the basic/advanced courses taught with Dr. Fulford. These courses are exactly the same as those taught when Dr. Fulford was teaching. Both courses have been expanded to a third day to develop some key skills and understandings of Dr. Fulford’s work which Dr. Koss learned from patient care and teaching students/residents rotating through Dr. Koss’s office.