Developed 130 years ago by physician A.T. Still, osteopathic medicine is one of the fastest growing health care professions in the U.S. and brings a unique philosophy to traditional medicine. With a strong emphasis on the inter-relationship of the body's nerves, muscles, bones and organs, doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) apply the philosophy of treating the whole person to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, disease and injury.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) use all accepted methods of treatment, including drugs and surgery, and osteopathic manipulative treatment which involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury.
Description
Doctors of osteopathic medicine:
- Diagnose illnesses
- Prescribe and administer treatment for people suffering from injury or disease
- Examine patients
- Obtain medical histories
- Order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests
- Counsel patients on diet, hygiene, and preventive health care
- Practice a “whole person” approach to medicine
- Perform osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness
Licensing
DOs seeking board certification in a specialty may spend up to 7 years in residency training, depending on the specialty. A final examination immediately after residency or after 1 or 2 years of practice also is necessary for certification by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). The AOA has approved 18 specialty boards, ranging from anesthesiology to surgery.
Personal qualifications
- A desire to serve patients
- Self-motivated
- Ability to survive the pressures and long hours of medical education and practice
- A good bedside manner
- Emotional stability
- Upper body strength and manual dexterity
- The ability to make decisions in emergencies
- A willingness to continue studying throughout their career in order to keep up with medical advances
Employment opportunities
- Excellent, ranking among the fastest growing occupations according to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment of DOs is expected to grow much faster than average (Increase 27 percent or more) through the year 2014
Salary
Median annual earnings of physicians in internal medicine with less than two years of experience: $141,912 (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, May 2004)
Progression
After earning primary certification, DOs can also seek additional certification in subspecialty areas such as cardiology and maternal fetal medicine and in areas of added qualifications such as sports medicine and geriatric medicine.
Getting there: Your degree program at MCPHS
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Students earn a Bachelor of Science degree from MCPHS and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO) from A.T. Still University (ATSU) in Kirksville, Missouri. This eight-year program includes four years of study at MCPHS and four years at ATSU. ATSU offers the oldest program in osteopathic medicine in the United States.