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.

What is the difference between an MD and a DO?

A doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) is a fully trained and licensed doctor who has attended and graduated from a U.S. osteopathic medical school. A doctor of medicine (M.D.) has attended and graduated from a conventional medical school.

Why is it called osteopathic medicine?

He focused on developing a system of medical care that would promote the body's innate ability to heal itself and called this system of medicine osteopathy, now known as osteopathic medicine. Osteopathic physicians, also known as DOs, work in partnership with their patients.