The United States has two kinds of physicians, the
Doctor of Medicine (MD) and the
Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). Both use medicines, surgery, and other standard methods of treating disease. DOs, however, place special emphasis on problems involving the
musculoskeletal system, which includes muscles, ligaments, bones, and joints. Nevertheless, both doctors receive virtually identical training, and are equally licensed in all 50 states.
Osteopathic medicine holds that true health involves complete physical, mental, and social well-being, rather than merely the absence of disease. In this system, the body has a capacity for health that the physician helps the individual attain. The osteopathic physician, therefore, treats the whole patient, considering such factors as nutrition and mental health in addition to physical symptoms of illness.
According to osteopathic theory, defects in the musculoskeletal system – the muscles, bones, and joints – influence the natural function of internal organs. To correct structural abnormalities, osteopathic therapy, or manipulative treatment with the hands or related mechanical means, is used. The osteopathic physician uses this treatment when appropriate, either alone or in combination with other accepted therapeutic methods such as drugs, surgery, and radiologic treatments, depending on the medical symptoms of the individual patient.
DOs also tend to emphasize herbal medicines and methods that influence the biological energy fields in the body. The American Medical Association promotes professionalism in medicine and sets standards for medical education, practice, and ethics. The
American Osteopathic Association advances the philosophy and science of osteopathic medicine through research and education.
Graduates of an osteopathic college receive a
Doctor of Osteopathy degree, followed by a 1-year internship, while graduates of medical school receive a
Doctor of Medicine degree, and go on to complete a 1 to 3-year residency. Osteopathic physicians wishing to specialize must take an additional two to five years of residency training, depending on the field they plan to enter. Both doctors needs to take a medical exam to be fully licensed.
