Overview

Osteopathic physicians (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or D.O.s) diagnose illness and injury, prescribe and administer treatment, and advise patients about how to prevent and manage disease. Like M.D.s, they are licensed to diagnose, treat, prescribe medications, and perform surgery in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Today, 20 percent of all new U.S. medical students are studying at a college of osteopathic medicine.

In addition to using all of the tools and technology available to modern medicine, D.O.s have a strongly holistic philosophy and practice osteopathic manipulative medicine - a distinctive system of hands-on diagnosis and treatment which focuses specifically on the musculoskeletal system.

Osteopathic manipulative medicine is an outgrowth of two basic concepts that undergird the osteopathic approach to health:

1. Structure influences function, which means that if there is an imbalance, injury or other problem in one part of the body's structure, it will affect function in that area - and sometimes elsewhere in the body, as well. 
2. The body has an innate capacity for self-healing. Thus, the object of osteopathic manipulation is to eliminate or reduce impediments to proper structure and function, in order to promote the body's own self-healing mechanisms.

Approximately 50% of all D.O.s practice general or family medicine, general internal medicine, or general pediatrics. The rest specialize in a wide range of practice areas, including emergency medicine, anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and surgery. All D.O.s receive a strong educational grounding in primary care, building a foundation which many believe makes them better physicians, regardless of specialty.

There are approximately 60,000 osteopathic physicians in active practice in the United States, and 26 colleges of osteopathic medicine. In addition, several new schools of osteopathic medicine currently are in the planning stages and expect to be admitting students within the next few years.

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 Physician D.O. October 4, 2010 [PDF 60KB]

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Working Conditions

Osteopathic physicians are more likely than allopathic physicians to become primary care providers and have a strong history of serving rural and underserved populations.

Many physicians work in small private offices or clinics, often assisted by a small staff of nurses and other administrative personnel. Increasingly, physicians practice in groups or healthcare organizations that provide back-up coverage and allow for more time off. These physicians often work as part of a team, coordinating care for a population of patients; they are less independent than solo practitioners of the past.