Pikeville College - School of Osteopathic Medicine

If you’re like most people, you’ve been going to a doctor since birth and perhaps were not aware whether you were seeing a D.O. (osteopathic physician) or an M.D. (allopathic physician). You may not even be aware there are two types of complete physicians in the United States.

The fact is both D.O.s and M.D.s are fully qualified physicians licensed to perform surgery and prescribe medication in all 50 states. Is there any difference between these two kinds of doctors? Yes. And no.

D.O.s and M.D.s are alike in many ways

• Applicants to both D.O. and M.D. medical colleges typically have a four-year undergraduate degree with an emphasis on scientific courses.

• Both D.O.s and M.D.s complete four years of basic medical education.

• After medical school, both D.O.s and M.D.s can choose to practice in a specialty area of medicine – such as psychiatry, surgery or obstetrics – after completing a residency program (typically two to six years of additional training).

• Both D.O.s and M.D.s must pass comparable state licensing examinations.

• D.O.s and M.D.s both practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities.

• D.O.s comprise a separate, yet equal, branch of American medical care. Together, D.O.s and M.D.s enhance the state of care available in America.

D.O.s bring something extra to medicine

• Osteopathic medical schools emphasize training students to be primary care physicians.

• D.O.s practice a “whole person” approach to medicine. Instead of just treating specific symptoms or illnesses, they regard your body as an integrated whole.

• Osteopathic physicians focus on preventive health care.

• D.O.s receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system, your body’s interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones that make up two-thirds of its body mass. This training provides osteopathic physicians with a better understanding of the ways that an injury or illness in one part of your body can affect another. It gives D.O.s a therapeutic and diagnostic advantage over those who do not receive additional specialized training.

• Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is incorporated in the training and practice of osteopathic physicians. With OMT, osteopathic physicians use their hands to diagnose injury and illness and to encourage your body’s natural tendency toward good health. By combining all other medical procedures with OMT, D.O.s offer their patients the most comprehensive care available in medicine today.

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21st-Century Frontier Medicine

Just as Dr. Andrew Taylor Still pioneered osteopathic medicine on the Missouri frontier in 1874, today osteopathic physicians serve as modern-day medical pioneers. They continue the tradition of bringing health care to areas of greatest need:

• Over half of all osteopathic physicians practice in primary care areas such as pediatrics, family practice, obstetrics/gynecology and internal medicine.

• Many D.O.s fill a critical need for doctors by practicing in rural and medically underserved areas.

• Today osteopathic physicians continue to be on the cutting edge of modern medicine. D.O.s are able to combine today’s medical technology with their ears, to listen caringly to their patients; their eyes, to see their patients as whole persons; and their hands, to diagnose and treat injury as well as illness.

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More than a century of unique care

Osteopathic medicine is a unique form of American medical care that was developed in 1874 by Dr. Still. He was dissatisfied with the effectiveness of 19th-century medicine. He believed that many of the medications of his day were useless or even harmful. Dr. Still was one of the first in his time to study the attributes of good health so that he could better understand the process of disease.

In response, Dr. Still founded a philosophy of medicine based on ideas that date back to Hippocrates, the father of medicine. The philosophy focuses on the unity of all body parts. He identified the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health. He recognized the body’s ability to heal itself and stressed preventative medicine, eating properly and keeping fit.

Dr. Still pioneered the concept of “wellness” over 100 years ago. In today’s terms, personal health risks – such as smoking, high blood pressure, excessive cholesterol levels, stress and other lifestyle factors – are evaluated for each individual. In coordination with appropriate medical treatment, the osteopathic physician acts as a teacher to help patients take more responsibility for their own well-being and change unhealthy patterns.

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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 and surgery, from psychiatry to obstetrics, geriatrics and emergency medicine. However, D.O.s are trained to be generalists first, and specialists second. 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.

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Professional education and licensure

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 holistic 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 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 internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, radiology or pathology. A residency typically requires from two to six years of additional training.

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.

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