Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
A doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) is a physician trained in somewhat similar to allopathic MD (Doctor of Medicine) and are licensed to practice medicine, perform surgery, and prescribe medicine.
Eligibility[edit | edit source]
Like all allopathic physicians (or MDs), osteopathic physicians complete 4 years of medical school and can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine.
Osteopathy / musculoskeletal medicine[edit | edit source]
Most osteopathic physicians receive an additional 300 to 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body's musculoskeletal system.
What is osteopathy?[edit | edit source]
Osteopathic physicians believe in the principle that a patient's history of illness and physical trauma are interlinked through flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues, and structural makeup.
Osteopathic school of medicine[edit | edit source]
There are many osteopathic medical schools in the United States that offer a DO degree. In general, the DO programs tend to be a bit less competitive when compared to an allopathic MD program although it can vary.
Licensing[edit | edit source]
Like MDs, osteopathic physicians are licensed at the state level.
Board certification and specialization[edit | edit source]
Osteopathic physicians who wish to specialize may become board certified similar to MD's by completing a 2- to 6-year residency within the specialty area and passing the board certification exams.
Specialties practiced[edit | edit source]
DOs practice in all specialties of medicine, ranging from emergency medicine and cardiovascular surgery to psychiatry and geriatrics.
Medical treatments[edit | edit source]
Osteopathic doctors use the same medical and surgical treatments that are used by other medical doctors, but may also sometimes incorporate osteopathic and or a holistic approach taught during their medical training.
List of osteopathic medical schools in the US[edit | edit source]
For a list of osteopathic medical schools in the United States, please see this page.
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