Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O. or DO) is an academic degree offered in the United States. It is a graduate-level first professional degree for physicians and surgeons, requiring four years to complete. Holders of the D.O. degree are known as osteopathic medical physicians. D.O.s are trained much in the same way as M.D.s, with the addition of osteopathic manipulative medicine techniques.

In the United States, the D.O. and the M.D. are the only two degrees permitting licensure as medical physicians. D.O and M.D. physicians have similar training (both requiring four years of training in the basic and clinical sciences and the successful completion of licensing exams). Osteopathic medical physicians receive additional training in Osteopathic Manual Manipulation. Although U.S. osteopathic medical physicians currently may obtain licensure in 47 countries, osteopathic curricula in countries other than the United States differ. In some countries outside of the United States, D.O.s are known as "osteopaths" and while their scope of practice includes some conventional medical therapies, they rely more exclusively on osteopathic manipulative medicine and other alternative medical modalities.

International variations in the D.O. degree

In the United States, doctors of osteopathic medicine are physicians who are also trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine.

In France, Germany,and Switzerland, some osteopathic practitioners are M.D.s who take additional courses in osteopathy after completing their medical training. In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, ?osteopaths" are trained in osteopathic principles and osteopathic manipulative treatment but are not physicians.

According to the BIOMEA, in most countries outside the United States, D.O. stands for ?diploma of osteopathy,? not ?doctor of osteopathic medicine.? The difference is that osteopaths are not trained or licensed as physicians, and therefore do not carry the same practice rights, such as surgery and prescribing medication. However, osteopaths in some countries do act as primary care providers, coordinating treatment with fully licensed primary care physicians.^[1]

International practice rights

International practice rights of U.S. trained D.O.s

Every country has different requirements and a different way of licensing or registering osteopathic physicians and osteopaths. The only osteopathic practitioners that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes as physicians are graduates of osteopathic medical colleges in the United States.^[2] Therefore, osteopaths who have trained outside the United States are not eligible for medical licensure in the United States. On the other hand, US-trained D.O.s are currently able to practice in 45 countries with full medical rights and in several others with restricted rights.

The following is a table of International Practice Rights of U.S trained Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, as listed by the American Osteopathic Association.^[3] An update of this listing was released in December 2007.^[4]

See also

• List of Osteopathic Medical Schools

References

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External links

• US-Trained DOs in Ireland. American Osteopathic Association President's Blog. http://blogs.do-online.org/aoapresident.php?itemid=2311

One D.O. 's description on " What Is A DO ? "

bg:?????? ?? ?????????? ???????? es:Doctor de medicina osteopática de:Doktor der Osteopathische Medizin (Berufsdoktorat) fr:Doctorat en Ostéopathie médecine nl:Doctor of Osteopatisch Medicine