Osteopathic Medicine Profession Overview

What Does an Osteopathic Physician Do?

Osteopathic medicine is a philosophy and practice of physician care in the United States, distinct in its whole-person approach and pioneering in its conceptualization of “wellness.”  Osteopathic physicians diagnose illness and injury, prescribe and administer treatment, and advise patients about how to prevent and manage diseases. A major distinction between the M.D. and the D.O is that the D.O. has a strongly holistic philosophy and practices osteopathic manipulative medicine, a distinctive system of hands-on diagnosis and treatment which focuses specifically on the musculoskeletal system.

Osteopathic medicine’s patient-centered approach to healthcare also means DOs are specifically trained to engage with and listen to their patients to look beyond symptoms to lifestyle factors that may impact a patient’s health or recovery. This combination of a strong medical philosophy, rigorous medical and scientific training and a whole-person, hands-on approach positions DOs well to partner with their patients to achieve optimal health while prioritizing dignity in healthcare.

Approximately 50% of the 54,000 osteopathic physicians in the United State 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. Like M.D.s, osteopathic physicians are fully licensed to diagnose, treat, prescribe, and perform surgery in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

 

Four Tenets of Osteopathic Medicine

Four tenets provide the foundation for osteopathic medicine’s whole person approach:

1. The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit.

2. The body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance.

3. Structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.

4. Rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, self-regulation and the interrelationship of structure and function.

The osteopathic whole-person perspective has guided many of this country’s more than 141,000 DOs into primary care roles, helping to address the physician shortage in rural and underserved areas, and has proven equally valuable for the many thousands of DOs represented in every medical and surgical specialty and setting.

 

How are DOs Educated and Trained?

Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, complete four years of osteopathic medical school, with an emphasis on preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care.

They are trained to recognize the interrelated unity among all systems of the body, each working with the other to promote overall health and wellness.

Upon graduating from medical school, DOs complete internships, residencies and fellowships. This training lasts three to eight years and prepares them to become licensed and board-certified.

 

Resources:

https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/what-is-a-do/

https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-osteopathic-medicine

https://explorehealthcareers.org/career/medicine/osteopathic-physician/