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.
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
