Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

"D.O." redirects here. For Diploma of Osteopathy, see Osteopathy.

Template:Physician education and training in the United States Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2]

Overview

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O. or DO) is an academic degree offered in the United States. It is a graduate-level first professional degree for physicians and surgeons, requiring four years to complete. Holders of the D.O. degree are known as osteopathic physicians. D.O.s are trained much in the same way as M.D.s, with the osteopathic manipulative medicine philosophy and techniques woven into the curriculum. DOs are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine and surgery in all 50 states. Depending on state, licensure may be issued from a combined board (DO & MD) or a separate board of medical examiners; regardless, all of the 70 state boards are members of the Federation of State Medical Boards. Many DOs practice in primary care (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN) or emergency medicine, but DOs can be found in every medical specialty, from psychiatry to neurosurgery.

In the United States, the D.O. and the M.D. are the only two degrees permitting licensure as medical physicians. Osteopathic medical school curricula closely mirrors those of allopathic (MD) medical schools, both requiring 4 years of training in the basic and clinical sciences and include licensing exams). The first two years focus on the biomedical and clinical sciences, followed by core clinical training in the clinical specialties. Osteopathic medical school accreditation standards require training in internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, family practice, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, radiology, preventive medicine and public health. According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, "the training, practice, credentialing, licensure, and reimbursement of osteopathic physicians is virtually indistinguishable from those of allopathic physicians, with 4 years of osteopathic medical school followed by specialty and subspecialty training and [board] certification." However, osteopathic physicians also receive an additional 300 - 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body's musculoskeletal system integrated into the medical curriculum.

Although U. S. osteopathic medical physicians currently may obtain licensure in 65 countries, osteopathic curricula in countries other than the United States differs. D.O.s outside the U. S. are known as "osteopaths" and their scope of practice excludes some conventional medical therapies, relying more exclusively on osteopathic manipulative medicine and other alternative medical modalities.

See also: Osteopathic medicine in the United States and Comparison of M.D. and D.O.

International variations in the D.O. degree

In the United States, doctors of osteopathic medicine are physicians who are also trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine.

The only osteopathic practitioners that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes as physicians are graduates of osteopathic medical colleges in the United States. There are currently no osteopathic programs located outside of the United States that qualify an individual to practice as an osteopathic physician in the United States. Foreign osteopathic degrees are not recognized as being equivalent to American D.O. degree for the purpose of medical licensure in any US state. On the other hand, US-trained D.O.s are currently able to practice in 65 countries with full medical rights and in several others with restricted rights.

Every country has different requirements and a different way of licensing or registering osteopathic physicians and osteopaths.

In France, Germany,and Switzerland, some osteopathic practitioners are M.D.s who take additional courses in osteopathy after completing their medical training. In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, “osteopaths" are trained in osteopathic principles and osteopathic manipulative treatment but are not physicians.

According to the BIOMEA, in most countries outside the United States, D.O. stands for “diploma of osteopathy,” not “doctor of osteopathic medicine.” The difference is that osteopaths are not trained or licensed as physicians, and therefore do not carry the same practice rights, such as surgery and prescribing medication. However, osteopaths in some countries do act as primary care providers, coordinating treatment with fully licensed primary care physicians.

International practice rights for US-trained Osteopathic Physicians

The following is an International Licensure Summary for US-trained Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, as listed by the American Osteopathic Association:

Country		Year of Latest Policy Update	Medical Practice Rights	Requirements for Licensure
Argentina		2006	Unlimited	Foreign physicians must submit credentials to various agencies and then appear before any of the National Universities in order to have their diploma recognized.
Australia		2013	Varies by state	A The Medical Board of Australia has stated that they will now recognize the U.S. DO degree for purposes of registration in Australia. However, this is only for recognition of the degree, in order to be registered (licensed) your training and credentials must be approved by the appropriate specialist college.
Austria		2009	Unlimited	Hospital must have position unable to be filled by Austrian physician.
Bahamas		2004	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Bahrain		2010	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Barbados		1995	Limited	OMM only.
Belize		2009	Unlimited
Bermuda		1997	Unlimited	Required at least 2 years of GME and examination or interview by the Council’s Examination Committee. Non-Bermudans must have approval from the Ministry of Labour & Home Affairs to work on the island.
Brazil		2007	Unlimited	Completion of Brazilian board exam, establishing residency & some training in Brazilian hospital is required.
Canada (varies by province)	Alberta		Unlimited	Requires at least 2 years of GME accredited by the ACGME or AOA and must have passed the Universities Coordinating Council Exam, a basic sciences exam, and have passed all three parts of the LMCC.
	British Columbia		Unlimited	Requires at least 1 year of GME approved by the AOA or the ACGME, completed at least 1 year of GME in Canada, passed all three parts of the LMCC.
	Manitoba		Unlimited	US license recognized.
	New Brunswick		Unlimited	Requires at least 2 years of GME approved by the AOA or the ACGME and have passed all 3 parts of the LMCC. Reciprocity pathway for DOs with a Maine license.
	Newfoundland		Pending	Currently under review. It is anticipated that establishing guidelines may take a couple of years.
	NW Territories		Unlimited	The government will grant registration to any physician that qualifies for licensure in any other province.
	Nova Scotia		Unlimited	Requires a Canadian or ACGME residency.
	Ontario		Unlimited	The Premier of Ontario and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) now accepts the COMLEX-USA exam (only with the Level 2-PE) and USMLE with USMLE Step 2 CS (Clinical Skills) or ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) CSA (Clinical Skills Assessment) as equivalent to the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination (MCCQE).
	Prince Edward Island		Restricted	No provision for licensing US-trained DOs.
	Quebec		Unlimited	Requires 1 year of GME approved by the AOA or ACGME, 1 year of GME in Quebec passed the written, oral and clinical board examination of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and must speak French fluently.
	Saskatchewan		Limited	OMM only.
	Yukon Territory		Unlimited	Government will grant registration to any physician that qualifies for licensure in any other province.
Cayman Islands (UK)		1983	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Central African Republic		1990	Unlimited	US licensure and annual attendance at the National Congress for Physicians.
Chile		1993	Unlimited	A written exam, in Spanish, is required.
China		2009	Unlimited	US-DOs are permitted to apply for "Short Term Medical Practice."
Columbia		1996	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Costa Rica		1993	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Dominican Republic		2000	Unlimited	US license & board certification recognized.
Ecuador		1990	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Reciprocity exists with most Latin American countries.
Egypt		2014	Unlimited	Degree recognized by the health ministry; recognition of postgraduate training and Board Certification in process.
Ethiopia		2011	Unlimited
Finland		1996	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
France		2009	Limited	OMM only. French government does not recognize full scope of practice osteopathic medicine.
The Gambia		2011	Unlimited
Germany		2008	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Depends on need. Decisions made on individual basis.
Greece		2009	Unlimited	Greek citizenship required, unless in rare instances, there exists a crucial need for certain types of specialist physicians. Further, a work permit must be obtained, a difficult task, and speaking Greek is an unwritten requirement. These are the same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Grenada		2007	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Guatemala		2009	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Grenada		2007	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Guyana		1996	Unlimited	Case-by case basis.
Haiti		2008	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Honduras		2009	Unlimited	National Autonomous University must accredit all foreign titles. After accreditation is completed, the applicant must seek registration with the Medical College of Honduras (MCH).
Hong Kong		2012	Unlimited	Written examination. Personal interview. Training approval.
India		2012	Unlimited for short-term work	Full time licensure continues to be worked on through the Indian Medical Council.
Indonesia		1993	Unlimited & Restricted	Foreign physicians affiliated with a university project or a mission have unlimited practice rights. No private practice allowed.
Israel		2007	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Hebrew required.
Italy		2009	Unlimited	Physicians are discouraged from seeking employment in Italy without firm contracts and work permits. If there is a U.S. state law outlining reciprocity with Italy, a statement to this effect from the Italian Consulate will warrant better chances.
Jordan		2012	Unlimited
Kenya		2012	Unlimited
Lebanon		2004	Unlimited	AOA letter required. Examination required.
Lesotho		1990s	Unlimited	Applicants must appear before the Medical, Dental and Pharmacy Council to answer some medical questions and present their credentials. The Council will also make a recommendation about where the applicant’s skills would be most helpful in the country.
Liberia		1990s	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Luxembourg		1987	Unlimited	The practice of medicine in Luxembourg by a doctor who is not an EU national is very rare.
Malta		2010	Unlimited	Accepted on a case by case basis, if training meets the minimum educational requirements for physicians in the EU (Article 24 of Directive 2005/36/EC). Examination required.
Malawi		1991	Unlimited
Mexico		1998	Unlimited & Restricted	Requires work permits - only available in conjunction with the association of a short-term medical mission project.
Micronesia		1993	Unlimited	Statutes specifically include DOs
Nepal		2008	Unlimited	Approval by the Nepal Medical Council & a visa from the Immigration Department.
Netherlands		2009	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
New Zealand		2008	Unlimited	Hearing required. Case-by-case basis.
Nigeria		2010	Unlimited	US Licensure and completion of specialty training required.
Norway		2009	Limited	OMM only.
Pakistan		2011	Unlimited & Restriced	Practice is confined to one hospital and may not engage in private practice.
Panama		2009	Unlimited	Panamanian citizenship required.
Papua New Guinea		2010	Unlimited	Work permit required. Short-term or a long-term volunteer service license also available.
Peru		2011	Unlimited
Poland		2009	Unlimited	Examination & Polish required.
Qatar		2011	Unlimited	All physicians who apply to be registered under a general scope of practice must pass (i) the NHA oral examination and (ii) the NHA written examination or equivalent.
Russia		2006	Unlimited	Foreign physicians make arrangements to practice through Russian sponsors, such as hospitals or businesses.
Saint Lucia		2000	Unlimited	US credentials recognized.
Saudi Arabia		2009	Unlimited	Foreign physician must be recruited by a government agency, a corporation or a private health care entity, such as a hospital.
Sierra Leone		1993	Unlimited	Notarized US credentials.
South Africa		2009	Unlimited for outreach
Sweden		2005	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Taiwan		2008	Unlimited	The ROC government recognizes US DO degree. Applicants must take Taiwan Examination Yuan to obtain Taiwanese license.
Tanzania		1985	Unlimited	Licensure will be granted to applicants with medical school degrees who have completed a required, although unspecified, residency.
Uganda		2008	Unlimited
United Arab Emirates		2009	Unlimited	Examination required.
United Kingdom		2005	Unlimited	For GMC registration as a specialist, postgraduate training will need to be separately recognized by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB). GOsC registration is also required.
Venezuela		2007	Unlimited	Recognized legal status under the “law of the practice of medical.”
Vietnam		1995	Unlimited	Foreign physicians can fill vacancies in hospitals that are in need of certain specialists.
Zambia		2012	Unlimited	US licensure required.
Zimbabwe		2009	Limited	OMM only.
Table data from AOA International Licensure Summary(updated July 2015).
OMM:Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

See also

• List of Osteopathic Medical Schools

External links

• US-Trained DOs in Ireland. American Osteopathic Association President's Blog. [3]

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