Osteopathic Medicine
You are more than just the sum of your body parts. That's why doctors
of osteopathic medicine (D.O.'s) practice a "whole person" approach to
health care. Instead of just treating specific symptoms, osteopathic
physicians concentrate on treating you as a whole.
Osteopathic physicians understand how all the body's systems are
interconnected and how each one affects the others. They focus special
attention on the musculoskeletal system, which reflects and influences
the condition of all other body systems. This system of bones and
muscles makes up about two-thirds of the body's mass, and a routine part
of the osteopathic patient examination is a careful evaluation of these
important structures. D.O.'s know that the body's structure plays a
critical role in its ability to function. They can use their eyes and
hands to identify structural problems and to support the body's natural
tendency toward health and self-healing. Osteopathic physicians also use
their ears -- to listen to you and your health concerns. Doctors of
osteopathic medicine help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that
don't just fight illness, but help prevent it. Millions of Americans
prefer this concerned and compassionate care, and have made D.O.'s their
doctors for life.
Professional Education
To become an osteopathic physician, an individual must be a graduate of one of the nation's osteopathic medical schools. Each school is accredited by the Bureau of Professional Education of the American.
Osteopathic Association
This accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Post-Secondary Education. Typically, applicants to osteopathic medical colleges have a four-year undergraduate degree, and complete specific science courses. Applicants must take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Osteopathic medical schools also require a personal interview to assess the student's interpersonal communication skills. The osteopathic curriculum involves four years of academic study. As a reflection of the osteopathic philosophy, the curriculum emphasizes preventive medicine and comprehensive patient care. Medical students learn to use osteopathic principles and techniques for diagnosis and treatment of disease throughout the curriculum. After completing osteopathic medical college, D.O.'s may serve a one-year rotating internship, gaining hands-on experience in internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, family practice, pediatrics and surgery. This experience ensures that osteopathic physicians are first trained as primary care physicians -- even if they plan to pursue a specialty. The internship provides every D.O. with the perspective to see and treat every patient as a whole person. Most D.O.'s then choose to complete a residency program in a specialty area such as family practice, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, radiology or pathology. A residency typically requires from three to six years of additional training.
Licensure
All physicians (both D.O.'s and M.D.'s) must pass a state medical board examination in order to obtain a license and enter practice. Each state board sets its own requirements for the physician to practice in that state.
Complete Care
D.O.'s are complete physicians. That means they are fully trained and
licensed to prescribe medication and to perform surgery. D.O.'s and
allopathic physicians (M.D.'s) are the only two types of complete
physicians in the United States. D.O.'s practice in all branches of
medicine from psychiatry to geriatrics to emergency medicine. The
majority are family-oriented, primary care physicians. Many D.O.'s
practice in small towns where they often care for entire families and
whole communities.