Osteopathic medicine in the United States

For the restricted-scope form of alternative medicine practice, mostly outside of North America, see Osteopathy.
Further information: Comparison of MD and DO in the United States

Osteopathic medicine in the United States
Andrew Taylor Still (founder)

Osteopathic medicine is a branch of the medical profession in the United States that promotes the practice of science-based medicine, often referred to in this context as allopathic medicine, with a set of philosophy and principles set by its earlier form, osteopathy. Osteopathic physicians (DOs) are graduates of American osteopathic medical colleges and are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine and surgery in all 50 U.S. states. The field is distinct from osteopathic practices offered in nations outside of the U.S.—in which practitioners are generally considered neither parts of core medical staff nor of medicine itself; rather, they are considered alternative medicine practitioners. The other major branch of medicine in the United States is referred to by practitioners of osteopathic medicine as allopathic medicine.[1]

By the middle of the 20th century, the profession had moved closer to mainstream medicine. American "osteopaths" became "osteopathic medical doctors", ultimately achieving full practice rights as medical doctors in all 50 states.[2][3]

In modern medicine in the U.S., any distinction between the MD and the DO professions has eroded steadily. The training of osteopathic physicians in the United States is now virtually indistinguishable from the training of allopathic physicians (MDs).[4] Osteopathic physicians attend four years of medical school like their MD counterparts, acquiring equivalent education in medicine and surgery; DOs also attend the same graduate medical education programs (ACGME-accredited residencies and/or fellowships) as their MD counterparts to acquire their licenses as physicians. DOs use all conventional methods of diagnosis and treatment and practice across all specialties of medicine and surgery. Although osteopathic physicians are still trained in osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT),[5] the modern derivative of Andrew Taylor Still's techniques,[6][7] during medical school, the majority of practicing physicians with a DO degree do not practice OMT in their daily work.[8] There are ongoing debates about the utility of maintaining separate, distinct pathways for educating physicians in the United States.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Joint statement from the American Osteopathic Association and American Medical Association: AOA and AMA stand against misrepresentation of osteopathic physicians". American Medical Association. 4 November 2020. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  2. ^ Meyer CT, Price A (April 1993). "Osteopathic medicine: a call for reform". The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 93 (4): 473–485. doi:10.7556/jaoa.1993.93.4.473. PMID 8267703.
  3. ^ Wu P, Siu J (2012). "A Brief Guide to Osteopathic Medicine For Students, By Students" (PDF). American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  4. ^ Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson JL, Isselbacher KJ (2012). "Chapter 10. Complementary and Alternative Medicine". Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (18th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-174889-6. Archived from the original on 2013-12-24.
  5. ^ Lesho EP (Nov 1999). "An overview of osteopathic medicine". Archives of Family Medicine. 8 (6): 477–484. doi:10.1001/archfami.8.6.477. PMID 10575385.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Osteopathic Medicine". Intelihealth.com. Archived from the original on 2007-04-15. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
  7. ^ DiGiovanna EL, Schiowitz S, Dowling DJ (2004). An Osteopathic Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment (3rd ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 978-0-7817-4293-1.
  8. ^ Healy CJ, Brockway MD, Wilde BB (January 2021). "Osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) use among osteopathic physicians in the United States". Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. 121 (1): 57–61. doi:10.1515/jom-2020-0013. PMID 33512391.
  9. ^ Cohen JJ (June 2009). "The separate osteopathic medical education pathway: isn't it time we got our acts together? Counterpoint". Academic Medicine. 84 (6): 696. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181a3ddaa. PMID 19474536.
  10. ^ Chen C, Mullan F (June 2009). "The separate osteopathic medical education pathway: uniquely addressing national needs. Point". Academic Medicine. 84 (6): 695. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181a3dd28. PMID 19474535.