Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

"D.O." redirects to this page, which primarily discusses relevant qualifications and titles in the United States. For other uses of D.O. or DO, see DO.

Osteopathic medicine & Osteopathy

Osteopathy in Australia & New Zealand

Osteopathic medicine in Canada

Osteopathy in Europe · Osteopathic medicine in the UK

Osteopathic medicine in the United States

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Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O. or DO) is a professional doctoral degree for physicians in the United States. Holders of the MD degree, Doctor of Medicine, have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as osteopathic physicians in the United States.

DOs are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine and surgery in all 50 states. Depending on state, licensure may be issued from a combined board (DO & MD) or a separate board of medical examiners;^[1] regardless, all of the 70 state boards are members of the Federation of State Medical Boards.^[2]

The American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) accredits 26 colleges of osteopathic medicine offering instruction at 34 locations in 25 states,^[3] compared with 134 medical schools that offer the MD degree.^[4] Osteopathic physicians constitute 7% of the total US physician population; there are over 70,480 DOs in the country, of whom 63,121 are in active practice.^[5]

Education and training

Osteopathic medical school curricula closely mirror those of allopathic (MD) medical schools. The first two years focus on the biomedical and clinical sciences, followed by core clinical training in the clinical specialties. Osteopathic medical school accreditation standards require training in internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, family practice, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, radiology, preventive medicine and public health.^[6] According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, "the training, practice, credentialing, licensure, and reimbursement of osteopathic physicians is virtually indistinguishable from those of allopathic physicians, with 4 years of osteopathic medical school followed by specialty and subspecialty training and [board] certification."^[7] However, osteopathic physicians also receive an additional 300 – 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body's musculoskeletal system integrated into the medical curriculum, which is referred to as Osteopathic manipulative medicine.^[8]

Upon graduation from medical school, many DOs attend the same internship and residency training programs as their MD counterparts^[9] and then take MD specialty board exams.^[10] In addition, the osteopathic medical profession has its own specialty training programs^[11][12] and specialty board examinations^[13] for DO graduates.

Further information: Osteopathic medicine in the United States

Licensing and board certification

To obtain a license to practice medicine in the United States, medical students must pass one of two licensing boards at the conclusion of their medical training: USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam) or COMLEX (Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam).^[14] Those that have received or are in the process of earning a MD or DO are both eligible to sit for the USMLE. Because of their additional training, only holders of the DO are eligible to sit for the COMLEX.^[15]

Upon completion of internship and residency requirements for their chosen medical specialty, and depending on whether the program attended as ACGME or AOA accredited, holders of the DO may elect to be board certified by either an allopathic specialty board (through the American Medical Association's American Board of Medical Specialties) or an osteopathic specialty board (through the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists certifying boards).

International variations

Osteopathic medicine
in the United States

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Andrew Taylor Still (founder)

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Medicine · US Medical education

Schools · Physicians

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

AOA · AACOM · AAO · COMLEX

MD & DO Comparison

Specialty Colleges · AOA BOS

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There are currently no osteopathic programs located outside of the United States that qualify an individual to practice as an osteopathic physician in the United States. Foreign osteopathic degrees are not recognized by any state in the U.S. as being equivalent to American D.O. degrees.

International practice rights

Every country has different requirements and a different way of licensing or registering osteopathic physicians and osteopaths. Osteopaths who have trained outside the United States are not eligible for medical licensure in the United States; however, U.S.-trained DOs are currently able to practice in over 55 countries with full medical rights and in several others with limited rights.^[16]

The following is an International Licensure Summary for US-trained Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, as listed by the American Osteopathic Association:^[17][18]

Country		Year of Latest Policy	Medical Practice Rights	Requirements for Licensure
Argentina		2006	Unlimited	Foreign physicians must submit credentials to various agencies and then appear before any of the National Universities in order to have their diploma recognized.
Australia		2009	Varies by state	A US educated DO was recruited to head up an ER in Sydney. Through the hospital’s efforts and the endorsement of the Australian College of Emergency Medicine, he secured an unlimited medical license through the New South Wales Medical Board.
Austria		2009	Unlimited	Hospital must have position unable to be filled by Austrian physician.
Bahamas		2004	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Bahrain		2010	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Barbados		1995	Limited	Osteopathic manipulative medicine only.
Bermuda		1997	Unlimited	Required at least 2 years of GME and examination or interview by the Council’s Examination Committee. Non-Bermudans must have approval from the Ministry of Labour & Home Affairs to work on the island.
Brazil		2007	Unlimited	Completion of Brazilian board exam, establishing residency & some training in Brazilian hospital is required.
Canada (varies by province)	Alberta		Unlimited	Requires at least 2 years of GME accredited by the ACGME or AOA and must have passed the Universities Coordinating Council Exam, a basic sciences exam, and have passed all three parts of the LMCC.
	British Columbia		Unlimited	Requires at least 1 year of GME approved by the AOA or the ACGME, completed at least 1 year of GME in Canada, passed all three parts of the LMCC.
	Manitoba		Unlimited	US license recognized.
	New Brunswick		Unlimited	Requires at least 2 years of GME approved by the AOA or the ACGME and have passed all 3 parts of the LMCC. Reciprocity pathway for DOs with a Maine license.
	Newfoundland		Unlimited	The Medical Act 2011 allows full licensure of osteopathic physicians, both for the country’s full registry & its educational registry.
	NW Territories		Unlimited	US license recognized.
	Nova Scotia		Unlimited	Requires a Canadian or ACGME residency.
	Ontario		Unlimited	Requires a Canadian or ACGME residency.
	Prince Edward Island		Restricted	No provision for licensing US-trained DOs.
	Quebec		Unlimited	Requires 1 year of GME approved by the AOA or ACGME, 1 year of GME in Quebec passed the written, oral and clinical board examination of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and must speak French fluently.
	Saskatchewan		Limited	Osteopathic manipulative medicine only.
	Yukon Territory		Unlimited	US license recognized.
Cayman Islands (UK)		1983	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Central African Republic		1990	Unlimited	US licensure and annual attendance at the National Congress for Physicians.
Chile		1993	Unlimited	A written exam in Spanish is required, besides a series of practical tests involving common procedures (CPR, intubation, lumbar puncture, etc.).
China		2009	Unlimited	US-DOs are permitted to apply for "Short Term Medical Practice."
Colombia		1996	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Costa Rica		1993	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Dominican Republic		2000	Unlimited	US license & board certification recognized.
Ecuador		1990	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Reciprocity exists with most Latin American countries.
Finland		1996	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
France		2009	Limited	Osteopathic manipulative medicine only. French government does not recognize full scope of practice osteopathic medicine.
Germany		2008	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Depends on need. Decisions made on individual basis.
Greece		2009	Unlimited	Greek citizenship required, unless in rare instances, there exists a crucial need for certain types of specialist physicians. Further, a work permit must be obtained, a difficult task, and speaking Greek is an unwritten requirement. These are the same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Grenada		2007	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Guyana		1996	Unlimited	Case-by case basis.
Honduras		2009	Unlimited	National Autonomous University must accredit all foreign titles. After accreditation is completed, the applicant must seek registration with the Medical College of Honduras (MCH).
Hong Kong		1998	Unlimited	Written examination. Personal interview. Training approval.
Indonesia		1992	Unlimited & Restricted	Foreign physicians affiliated with a university project or a mission have unlimited practice rights. No private practice allowed.
Israel		2007	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Hebrew required.
Italy		2009	Unlimited	Physicians are discouraged from seeking employment in Italy without firm contracts and work permits. If there is a U.S. state law outlining reciprocity with Italy, a statement to this effect from the Italian Consulate will warrant better chances.
Jamaica		1994	Limited & Restricted	DOs were permitted to supply some services while participating in a specific mission project.
Kenya		2007	Unlimited
Lebanon		2004	Unlimited	AOA letter required. Examination required.
Lesotho		1990s	Unlimited	Applicants must appear before the Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Council to answer some medical questions and present their credentials. The Council will also make a recommendation about where the applicant’s skills would be most helpful in the country.
Liberia		1990s	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Luxembourg		1987	Unlimited	The practice of medicine in Luxembourg by a doctor who is not an EU national is very rare.
Malta		2010	Unlimited	Accepted on a case by case basis, if training meets the minimum educational requirements for physicians in the EU (Article 24 of Directive 2005/36/EC). Examination required.
Malawi		1991	Unlimited
Mexico		2011	Unlimited & Restricted	Health Secretary Quijano of the Yucatán State of Mexico signed a Proclamation recognizing US-trained osteopathic physicians in that state; DOs can now obtain short-term & long-term licensure through the Health Secretary’s office. All other Mexican states require work permits - only available in conjunction with the association of a short-term medical mission project.
Micronesia		1993	Unlimited	Statutes specifically include DOs
Nepal		2008	Unlimited	Approval by the Nepal Medical Council & a visa from the Immigration Department.
Netherlands		2009	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
New Zealand		2008	Unlimited	Hearing required. Case-by-case basis.
Nigeria		2010	Unlimited	US Licensure and completion of specialty training required.
Norway		2009	Limited	Osteopathic manipulative medicine only.
Panama		2009	Unlimited	Panamanian citizenship required.
Papua New Guinea		2010	Unlimited	Work permit required. Short-term or a long-term volunteer service license also available.
Poland		2009	Unlimited	Examination & Polish required.
Russia		2006	Unlimited	Foreign physicians make arrangements to practice through Russian sponsors, such as hospitals or businesses.
Saint Lucia		2000	Unlimited	US credentials recognized.
Saudi Arabia		2009	Unlimited	Foreign physician must be recruited by a government agency, a corporation or a private health care entity, such as a hospital.
Sierra Leone		1993	Unlimited	Notarized US credentials.
South Africa		2009	Limited	Osteopathic manipulative medicine only
Sweden		2005	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Taiwan		2008	Unlimited	The ROC government recognizes US DO degree. Applicants must take Taiwan Examination Yuan to obtain Taiwanese license.
United Kingdom		2005	Unlimited.	US-trained DOs eligible for full medical practice rights. Applicants must pass the PLAB examination and work for one year in the National Health Service. Following that year, the applicants will be able to apply for a license to practice privately.
Tanzania		1985	Unlimited	US license & GME recognized. Temporary work permits are available
Uganda		2008	Unlimited
United Arab Emirates		2009	Unlimited	Examination required.
United Kingdom		2005	Unlimited	For GMC registration as a specialist, postgraduate training will need to be separately recognized by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB). GOsC registration is also required.
Venezuela		2007	Unlimited	Recognized legal status under the “law of the practice of medical.”
Vietnam		1995	Unlimited	Foreign physicians can fill vacancies in hospitals that are in need of certain specialists.
Zambia		2009	Unlimited	US licensure required.
Zimbabwe		2009	Limited	Osteopathic manipulative medicine only.
Table data from AOA International Licensure Summary (updated February 2011).[18]
OMM:Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

See also

• List of medical schools in the United States

References

1. ^ Directory of State Medical and Osteopathic Boards, Federation of State Medical Boards
2. ^ Federation of State Medical Boards
3. ^ 2012 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, 2011
4. ^ Directory of Accredited Medical Education Programs, Liaison Committee on Medical Education
5. ^ Osteopathic Medical Profession Report 2010 - page 2&3, American Osteopathic Association
6. ^ Overview of Osteopathic Medical Education/Accreditation/The Four-Year Curriculum, 2012 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book (CIB), American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
7. ^ Dennis L. Kasper, Eugene Braunwald, Anthony S. Fauci, Stephen L. Hauser, Dan L. Longo, J. Larry Jameson, and Kurt J. Isselbacher, Eds. Chapter 10. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th Ed. 2005. McGraw Hill.
8. ^ Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.), MedLine Plus, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
9. ^ ACGME Data Resource Book, Academic Year 2009-2010, Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (2010), page 6, 58-61.
10. ^ Roadmap to Residency: From Application to the Match and Beyond, Association of American Medical Colleges, (2007), pages 1-18.
11. ^ AOA Approved Internship & Residency Programs
12. ^ Opportunities, Directory of Osteopathic Postdoctoral Education Programs, Supplemental OPTI Affiliation List,’’ Updated: October 2010.
13. ^ AOA Specialty Certifying Boards
14. ^ Board Examinations and Licensure, 2012 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book (CIB), American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, page 11.
15. ^ COMLEX-USA Bulletin of Information 2010-2011, National Osteopathic Board of Medical Examiners, Updated January 14, 2011.
16. ^ International Practice Rights Map
17. ^ Frequently Asked Questions regarding International Licensure, Council on International Osteopathic Medical Education & Affairs, American Osteopathic Association. Contact information listed.
18. ^ ^{a b} AOA International License Summary, Council on International Osteopathic Medical Education & Affairs, American Osteopathic Association (February 2011).

External links

• One DO's description on "What Is A DO?"
• Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) - National Institutes of Health

Related information