Osteopathic medicine began in the United States with DOs believing in manipulation to positively affect physiology. While early DOs had varying scopes of practice, today all DOs have equal practice rights to MDs. To become a DO requires an undergraduate degree, high MCAT scores, medical school acceptance and training which includes rotations in specialties and primary care. Osteopathic medical schools have grown from 5 private schools in the late 19th/early 20th century to 25 schools today, with some publicly funded to address physician shortages.

1. By Christina Marno

2. Practitioners of Osteopathy (DO’s)
have always been doctor’s in the
United States.
Initially, DO’s believed in efficacy of
manipulation to affect the
physiology of the body positively.

3. Spectrum of application of Osteopathic
Medicine in the U.S varies.
 Pure, classical form of osteopathy. Only
manipulation or surgery but against
virtually all medications.
 Specialization in neuromusculoskeletal
medicine (NMM) – mostly adjective
treatment with other physicians.
 Reductionistic technique – DO’s only
treat certain areas.
 Primary Care in which the majority of
DO’s practice.

4.  At the end of the 19th century and
beginning of the 20th some states gave
DO’s full practice rights however others
only gave partial practice rights to
diagnose and treat patients.
As of today, Osteopathic physicians in ALL
50 of the United States have the same
practice rights as Medical Doctors.

5.  Completion of Bachelor’s Degree
 High cumulative GPA
 Successful Scores on the Medical College
Aptitude Test (MCAT)
 Preference given to:
 Those who have or had previous medical
experiences
 Volunteer
 Other Member of Hospital Staff
 Shadowing physicians
 Participating in medical research

6.  Interview at Osteopathic Medical School
 Informal assessment on students ability to
emphasize with their patients.
 Assessment of applicant must be a “people
person”
 In order to be able to interact with their
patient easily
 To elicit information relative to the patients
diagnosis.
 To elicit better patient complacence.
 Also note whether perspective student has
shown interested to study the
history/philosophy of osteopathic medicine.

7.  In 2008, there were 25 Osteopathic Medical
Schools in the United States
 Listed on the AOA - Accredited Osteopathic
Schools are listed by the World Health
Organization (WHO)
 3 Waves of Osteopathic Medical Colleges
 5 opened between 1892 to 1916 were private
schools
 10 opened between 1970 and 1981, six of these
schools were publicly funded to fill the shortage
of physicians
 Began in 1992, outside entrepreneurs began
funding these schools.

8.  Internships & Residencies
 Training programs for general medicine (internal
medicine or family practice), or specialty
medicine (Cardiothoracic surgery)
 Rotating internships “the best specialist has a
good foundation as a generalist” (Micozzi, 2011,
p.248).
 Tracking Internships (started appx. 1995), that
retain a certain level of general training but
decreases the amount of requirements to allow
more time for specialization.

9. Research at Osteopathic Medical Schools
 Basic Science
 Standard Medical Care
 Effects of Osteopathic Structural Diagnosis and
Treatment
 Initially, Poorly funded due to pharmaceutical
companies not wanting to identify
treatments that may show that their
medicine was not needed to treat conditions.
Today interest and funding is growing for
non-pharmaceutical treatment.

10. Complex & Diversified in the United States
which, returned to original countries.
 In a 1995 international forum:
 The majority of osteopathic education outside the
United States and the United Kingdom was on a
part-time basis and not at the doctoral level.
 Majority of osteopathy education in other
countries are funded by for profit and
entrepreneurial.
 The UK and Australia were only counties to create
national laws to allow the practice of osteopathy.

11.  Following the forum in 1995 changes were
made:
 Starting a international organization resulting in
the World Osteopathic Health Organization
(WOHO)
 Explored communication with osteopathic
practitioners with common interests
 Movement toward higher standards and full-time
schools
 Osteopathic International Alliance (OIA): created
in 2004 to foster improved international
healthcare by promoting osteopathic medicine
and osteopathy

12.  Micozzi, M. (2011). Fundamentals of
complementary and alternative medicine
(4th ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Saunders/Elsevier.
 Trivieri, L. (2001). The American Holistic
Medical Association guide to holistic health:
Healing therapies for optimal wellness. New
York: J. Wiley.