Dr. Still believed that illness was related to problems associated with the musculoskeletal system and manipulation could treat the problems. In addition, Dr. Still advocated healthy living and abstinence from alcohol. His treatment regime forbade patients from taking any type of medication. Dr. Still opened the American School of Osteopathy, the first osteopathic school at Kirksville, Missouri in 1892. Students at the school formed the organization now known as the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in 1897. The organization implemented standards for osteopathic medicine education. The AOA was accredited by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1952 and received accreditation from the Council for Higher Education in 1967. Standards for curriculum and length of study were formed by the Associated Colleges of Osteopathy in 1898. Today, people in Canada benefit from both European-trained osteopaths (non-physician manual practitioners) and practitioners trained in Canada. Both provide individual benefit of skills and knowledge of to develop a distinctly Canadian system of osteopathic care. Many of the training programs in Canada emphasize research delivering high standards of osteopathic education, training, and treatment benefiting practitioners and patients.