Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a medical degree offered by medical schools in the United States. A DO graduate may become licensed as a physician. DOs have full practice rights in all 50 US states. As of 2021, there were more than 168,000 osteopathic physicians and osteopathic medical students in the United States.

Is DO or MD better?

Final thoughts. The allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) approaches to medicine are highly valuable for treating patients. Therefore, neither an MD nor DO is objectively better than the other.

What does an osteopathic doctor DO?

In all 50 states, DOs, also called osteopaths or osteopathic physicians, are licensed to prescribe medications, perform surgery, and use technological imaging to diagnose and treat illness and injury.