Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

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(Redirected from Osteopathic physicians)

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.

DO states practice rights
DO states practice rights

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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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD