Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO or D.O.) is a professional doctoral degree for physicians and surgeons offered by medical schools in the United States. A DO graduate may become licensed as an osteopathic physician, having equivalent rights, privileges, and responsibilities as a physician who has earned the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.[1] Osteopathic physicians, or DOs, currently have unlimited practice rights in roughly 74 countries, with partial practice rights in many more; [2] [3] DOs have full practice rights in all 50 US states. They constitute 11% of all US physicians. As of 2018, there were more than 145,000 osteopathic physicians and osteopathic medical students in the United States.[4]

Further information: Osteopathic medicine in the United States

DO degrees are offered in the United States at 36 medical schools, at 57 locations compared to MD degrees offered at 171 schools.[5][6][7] Since 2007, total DO student enrollment has been increasing yearly. As of 2015, more than 20% of all medical school enrollment were DO students.[8][9] The curricula at osteopathic medical schools are similar to those at MD-granting medical schools, which focus the first two years on the biomedical and clinical sciences, then two years on core clinical training in the clinical specialties.[10]

Upon completing medical school, a DO graduate may enter an internship or residency training program, which may be followed by fellowship training.[10] DO graduates attend the same graduate medical education programs as their MD counterparts.

One notable difference between DO and MD training is that DOs in training spend 300–500 hours studying techniques for hands-on manipulation of the human musculoskeletal system.[1][11]

History

Further information: Osteopathic medicine in the United States § History

The practice of osteopathy began in the United States in 1874. The term "osteopathy" was coined by physician and surgeon[12][13] Andrew Taylor Still, who named his new discipline of medicine "osteopathy", reasoning that "the bone, osteon, was the starting point from which [he] was to ascertain the cause of pathological conditions".[14] Still founded the American School of Osteopathy (now A.T. Still University of the Health Sciences) in Kirksville, Missouri, for the teaching of osteopathy on May 10, 1892. While the state of Missouri granted the right to award the MD degree,[15] he remained dissatisfied with the limitations of conventional medicine and instead chose to retain the distinction of the DO degree.[16] In 1898 the American Institute of Osteopathy started the Journal of Osteopathy and by that time four states recognized the profession.[17]

The osteopathic medical profession has evolved into two branches: non-physician manual medicine osteopaths, who were educated and trained outside the United States; and US-trained osteopathic physicians, who conduct a full scope of medical practice. The regulation of non-physician manual medicine osteopaths varies greatly between jurisdictions. In the United States, osteopathic physicians holding the DO degree have the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as physicians with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree.[1] Osteopathic physicians and non-physician osteopaths are so distinct that in practice they function as separate professions.

As originally conceived by Andrew Still, the letters "DO" stood for "Diplomate in Osteopathy" and the title conferred by the degree was "Doctor of Osteopathy".[18] Subsequently, the degree also came to be entitled "Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine".[19] Since the late 20th century, the AOA has preferred that this title be used exclusively.[20] Its members resolved at a 1960 conference:

Be it resolved, that the American Osteopathic Association institute a policy, both officially in our publications and individually on a conversational basis, to use the terms osteopathic medicine in place of the word osteopathy and osteopathic physician and surgeon in place of osteopath; the words osteopathy and osteopath being reserved for historical, sentimental, and informal discussions only.[21]

A minority of DOs continue to use the old terms, and the American Academy of Osteopathy retains the old usage in its name.[22]

Demographics

In 2018, there were 114,425 osteopathic medical doctors in the United States and 145,343 total DOs and osteopathic medical students. The proportion of females in the profession has steadily increased since the 1980s.[23] In 1985, about 10 percent of DO physicians were female, compared with 41 percent in 2018.[24] Between 2008 and 2012, 49 percent of new DO graduates were females.[23]

During the 2011–12 academic year, the osteopathic medical student body consisted of: 69 percent white/non-Hispanic, 19 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 3.5 percent Hispanic, 3 percent African-American, and 0.5 percent Native American or Alaskan.[23] The remainder were listed as "other or not entered". The five-year change in osteopathic medical student enrollment by ethnicity has increased by 19 percent for white/non-Hispanic students, 36 percent for Asian-American students, 24 percent for Black/African American students and 60 percent for Hispanic/Latino students.[25]

Education, training and distinctiveness

Further information: Osteopathic medicine in the United States and Osteopathic manipulative medicine

Osteopathic medical school curricula are virtually identical to those at schools granting the MD degree (Doctor of Medicine). Once admitted to an osteopathic medical school, students study for four years in order to graduate. The schooling is divided into the pre-clinical and clinical years. The pre-clinical years, the first and second years, focus on the biomedical and clinical sciences. The clinical years, the third and fourth years, consist of core clinical training and sub-internships in the clinical specialties.

Osteopathic medical school accreditation standards require training in internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics, family medicine, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, radiology, preventive medicine, and public health.[26] According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, "the training, practice, credentialing, licensure, and reimbursement of osteopathic physicians is virtually indistinguishable from those of physicians with MD qualifications, with 4 years of osteopathic medical school followed by specialty and subspecialty training and board certification".[10]

DO schools provide an additional 300–500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body's musculoskeletal system, which is referred to as osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM).[1] Osteopathic physicians use OMM predominantly to treat musculoskeletal conditions.

Examinations

Before entering osteopathic medical school, an applicant must complete a four-year undergraduate degree and take a national standardized exam called the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Some combined undergraduate/medical programs exist. Some authors note the differences in the average MCAT scores and grade point average of students who matriculate at DO schools compared to those who matriculate at MD schools within the United States. In 2019, the average MCAT and GPA for students entering US-based MD programs were 506 and 3.6, respectively,[27] and 503 and 3.5 for DO matriculants,[28][29] and the gap has been getting smaller every year.[28] DO medical schools are more likely to accept non-traditional students,[30][31] who are older and entering medicine as a second career, or coming from non-science majors.

DO medical students are required to take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensure Examination (COMLEX-USA), which is sponsored by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME). The COMLEX-USA is series of four osteopathic medical licensing examinations. The first three exams of the COMLEX-USA are taken during medical school and are prerequisites for residency programs. Level 2 consists of a multiple-choice portion and a patient evaluation exam (2PE). COMLEX-Level 2PE, is available only in Chicago, IL and Philadelphia, PA. It is graded as a Pass/Fail exam. Finally, COMLEX Level 3 is taken during the first year of residency.

In addition to the COMLEX-USA, DO medical students may choose to sit for the MD licensure examinations, which are called the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE).[32] This is typically done under specific circumstances, such as when the student desires to enter a residency that may have a historic preference for the USMLE, or if a higher USMLE score would help elevate the student’s application to be more competitive. USMLE pass rates for DO and MD students in 2012 are as follows: Step 1: 91% and 94%, Step 2 CK: 96% and 97%, and Step 2 CS: 87% and 97%, respectively (this number may be misleading as only 46 DO students compared to 17,118 MD students were evaluated for Step 2 CS) Step 3: 100% and 95% (this number may be misleading, as only 16 DO students compared to 19,056 MD students, were evaluated for Step 3).[33]

Further information: Comparison of MD and DO in the United States

Licensing and board certification

To obtain a license to practice medicine in the United States, osteopathic medical students must pass the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX),[34] the licensure exam administered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners throughout their medical training. Students are given the option of also taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) to apply for certain residency programs who may want USMLE scores in addition to COMLEX scores. Those that have received or are in the process of earning an MD or DO degree are both eligible to sit for the USMLE. Because of their additional training, only DO candidates are eligible to sit for the COMLEX.[35]

Upon completion of internship and residency requirements for their chosen medical specialty, holders of the DO may elect to be board certified by either a specialty board (through the American Medical Association's American Board of Medical Specialties) or an osteopathic specialty board (through the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists certifying boards) or both. In February 2014, the American Osteopathic Association and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education agreed to unify allopathic and osteopathic graduate medical education starting in 2020.[36]

Depending on the state, medical licensure may be issued from a combined board (DO and MD) or a separate board of medical examiners.[37] All of the 70 state medical boards are members of the Federation of State Medical Boards.[38]

International variations

Currently, there are no osteopathic medical programs located outside of the United States that would qualify an individual to practice as an osteopathic physician in the United States.[39] Foreign osteopathic degrees are not recognized by any state in the US as being equivalent to American DO degrees.

International practice rights

The International Labor Organization (ILO), an agency of the United Nations, issued a letter affirming that U.S.-trained osteopathic physicians are fully licensed physicians who prescribe medication and perform surgery. The acknowledgment draws a clear separation between American DOs, who are medical doctors, and non-physician osteopaths trained outside of the United States. Within the international standards that classify jobs to promote international comparability across occupations, U.S.-trained DOs are now categorized with all other physicians as medical doctors.[40] This event took place in June of 2018 and started a relay of events and opened doors for DO's as more countries started to understand and give full recognition to US trained medical doctors with the D.O. degree, e.g. the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) approved a resolution in 2019 granting the AOA’s request that AMCOA recognize U.S.-trained DOs as fully licensed physicians with practice rights equivalent to MDs, opening its 20 member countries, which include Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to DO's.[41] (Note: Some of the member African countries of AMCOA had independently licensed DO's before; however, this recognition unifies those who did or did not). Furthermore, DOs may work internationally with any humanitarian organization such as the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders. The following is an international licensure summary for US-trained doctors of osteopathic medicine, as listed by the American Osteopathic Association:[42][43]

AOA international licensure summary[43]

Country		Year of latest policy	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	Unlimited	According to documents published online, the Medical Board of Australia has "agreed to accept the DO USA as a primary medical qualification for the purposes of medical registration provided that the DO USA was awarded by a medical school which has been accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation".[44]
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	Osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) only.
Belize		2009	Unlimited	Must complete a Belizean residency for permanent license eligibility.
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.
Botswana		2019	Unlimited
Brazil		2007	Unlimited	Completion of Brazilian board exam, establishing residency & some training in Brazilian hospital is required.
Canada	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 DO physicians with a Maine license.
	Newfoundland		Unlimited	The Medical Act 2011 allows full licensure of osteopathic physicians, both for the country's full registry & its educational registry.
	NW Territories		Unlimited	US license recognized.
	Nova Scotia		Unlimited	Requires a Canadian or ACGME residency.
	Ontario		Unlimited	Requires a Canadian or ACGME residency.
	Prince Edward Island		Unlimited
	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		Unlimited
	Yukon		Unlimited	US license recognized.
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		2008	Unlimited	A written exam in Spanish is required, besides a series of practical tests involving common procedures (CPR, intubation, lumbar puncture, etc.).
China		2009	Unlimited	United States DO physicians are permitted to apply for short-term medical practice licensure.
Colombia		1996	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
Costa Rica		2009	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.
Eswatini		2019	Unlimited
Ethiopia		2011	Unlimited	Must renew the license every 5 years.
Finland		1996	Unlimited	Same requirements as other foreign physicians.
France		2009	Limited	OMM only. The French government does not recognize the 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.
Ghana		2019	Unlimited
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.
Guyana		1996	Unlimited	Case-by case basis.
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		1998	Unlimited	Written examination. Personal interview. Training approval.
India		2012	Unlimited	Unlimited for short-term work.
Indonesia		1992	Unlimited and restricted	Foreign physicians affiliated with a university project or a mission have unlimited practice rights. No private practice allowed.
Iran		2009	Unlimited	Iranian citizens who have received both the DO degree from a US osteopathic school and are board certified in a clinical specialty. Osteopathic degrees from other countries are not accepted. The process of evaluation of the medical education and clinical training is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MoHME).
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 US state law outlining reciprocity with Italy, a statement to this effect from the Italian Consulate will warrant better chances.
Jamaica		1994	Limited and restricted	DO physicians were permitted to supply some services while participating in a specific mission project.
Jordan		2012	Unlimited
Kenya		2007	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
Mauritius		2019	Unlimited
Mexico		2011	Unlimited & Restricted	Health Secretary Quijano of the Yucatán State of Mexico signed a Proclamation recognizing US-trained osteopathic physicians in that state; DO physicians can now obtain short-term & long-term licensure through the Health Secretary's office. All other Mexican states require work permits - only available in conjunction with the association of a short-term medical mission project.
Micronesia		1993	Unlimited	Statutes specifically include DOs
Namibia		2019	Unlimited
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, but DOs may apply for recognition as medical doctors.[45]
Pakistan		2011	Unlimited	US osteopathic medical schools meet the Medical and Dental Council's statutory regulations for international medical graduates. Scope is unlimited, but practice setting may be restricted
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	Process for licensure is the same as for other IMGs.
Poland		2009	Unlimited	Examination & Polish required.
Qatar		2011	Unlimited	Must possess a valid work visa, and pass written and oral examinations.
Rwanda		2019	Unlimited
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.
Seychelles		2019	Unlimited
Sierra Leone		1993	Unlimited	Notarized US credentials recognized.
South Africa		2019	Unlimited	U.S. degree recognized. The AMCOA recognition of American trained DOs gave full medical and surgical practicing rights to the professionals. Same requirements as foreign physicians.
South Sudan		2019	Unlimited
Sweden		2005	Unlimited	US license recognized.
Taiwan		2008	Unlimited	The ROC government recognizes American DO degrees. Applicants must take Taiwan Examination Yuan to obtain Taiwanese license.
Tanzania		1985	Unlimited	US license and GME recognized. Temporary work permits are available.
Uganda		2008	Unlimited
United Arab Emirates		2009	Unlimited	Examination required.
United Kingdom		2005	Unlimited	US-trained DO physicians are eligible for full medical practice rights. Applicants must pass the PLAB examination and work for one year in the National Health Service. Following that year, the applicants will be able to apply for a license to practice privately. 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 status under the law of the practice of medicine.
Vietnam		1995	Unlimited	Foreign physicians can fill vacancies in hospitals that are in need of certain specialists.
Zambia		2009	Unlimited	US licensure required.
Zimbabwe		2019	Unlimited	The AMCOA recognition of American trained DOs gave full medical and surgical practicing rights to the professionals. Same requirements as foreign physicians.
OMM: Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

See also

• Comparison of MD and DO in the United States
• List of medical schools in the United States

Notes and references

1. MedLine Plus (2007). "Doctor of Osteopathic medicine (D.O.)". National Institutes of Health. U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
2. "DOs Around the World". American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
3. "U.S.-trained DOs recognized as equal to MDs in 20 African countries". The DO. 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
4. "Osteopathic Medical Profession Report" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-06-29. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
5. "U.S. Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine". AACOM. December 2019.
6. "School Directory". LCME. December 2019.
7. "Who We Are". AAMC. December 2019.
8. Berger, Joseph (14 August 2014). "The D.O. Is in Now. Osteopathic Schools Turn Out Nearly a Quarter of All Med School Grads" (ED14). NY Times. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
9. "OMP Report: Osteopathic Medical Schools". American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
10. Kasper, Dennis L.; Eugene Braunwald; Anthony S. Fauci; Stephen L. Hauser; Dan L. Longo; J. Larry Jameson; Kurt J. Isselbacher (2004). "Chapter 10. Complementary and Alternative Medicine". Harrison's principles of internal medicine (16th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0071391405.
11. Swanson ES (2015). "Pseudoscience". Science and Society: Understanding Scientific Methodology, Energy, Climate, and Sustainability. Springer. p. 65. ISBN 978-3-319-21987-5.
12. "''Medical Registration for Macon County, MO as of March 27, 1874,'' Missouri Digital Heritage, Secretary of State of Missouri". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
13. "Medical registration for Adair County, MO dated 28 July 1883". Missouri Digital Heritage, Secretary of State of Missouri. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
14. "Early American Manual Therapy". Archived from the original on 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
15. "Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation" (PDF). State of New Jersey. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-09-08.
16. "Osteopathic Virtual Museum". Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
17. "General Notices". Popular Science Monthly: 710. Mar 1898. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
18. Emmons Rutledge Booth (2006). History of Osteopathy. p. 80. ISBN 978-3-936679-04-5.
19. Eileen L. DiGiovanna; Stanley Schiowitz; Dennis J. Dowling (2005). An Osteopathic Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-7817-4293-1.
20. "Terminology for Reporting on Osteopathic Medicine". Archived from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
21. Allen, TW (1993). "'Osteopathic physician' defines our identity". The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 93 (9): 884. PMID 8244784.
22. Allen, TW (2010). "Osteopathic medical terminology – redux". The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. 110 (12): 743–744. PMID 21178160.
23. "Osteopathic Medical Profession Report 2012" (PDF). American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
24. "Osteopathic Medicine Profession Report 2015" (PDF). American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
25. "Osteopathic Medicine Profession Report 2015" (PDF). American Osteopathic Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-01. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
26. "Overview of Osteopathic Medical Education/Accreditation/The Four-Year Curriculum (2012 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book)" (PDF). American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. 2012.
27. "Table 17: MCAT Scores and GPAs for Applicants and Matriculants to U.S. Medical Schools" (PDF). Association of American Medical Colleges. 2000–2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-14.
28. "AACOMAS Matriculant Profile 2019 Entering Class" (PDF). American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
29. "AACOMAS Applicant Pool Profile – Entering Class of 2019" (PDF).
30. "Osteopathic Medical College Information Book" (PDF). American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. 2012.
31. Madison Park (June 13, 2011). "Never too late to be a doctor". CNN News. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
32. "United States Medical Licensing Examination | USMLE Bulletin | Eligibility". Usmle.org. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
33. "2012 Annual Report" (PDF). National Board of Medical Examiners. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
34. "Board Examinations and Licensure" (PDF). Medical College Information Book, 2012 edition. AACOM. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
35. "COMLEX-USA: Bulletin of Information" (PDF). National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
36. "Allopathic and Osteopathic Medical Communities Commit to a Single Graduate Medical Education Accreditation System" (PDF). Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
37. "Directory of State Medical and Osteopathic Boards". Federation of State Medical Boards. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
38. "Federation of State Medical Boards". Federation of State Medical Boards. Archived from the original on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
39. "The Difference Between U.S.-Trained Osteopathic Physicians and Osteopaths Trained Abroad". American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
40. "DOs receive international recognition as fully licensed physicians". The DO. 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
41. "U.S.-trained DOs recognized as equal to MDs in 20 African countries". The DO. 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-12-30.
42. Frequently Asked Questions regarding International Licensure, Council on International Osteopathic Medical Education & Affairs, American Osteopathic Association. Contact information listed.
43. "AOA International Licensure Summary" (PDF). American Osteopathic Association. April 2013.
44. "FAQ and Fact Sheets". AHPRA. Medical Board of Australia.
45. "Norway: Osteopathic Medicine" (PDF). Osteopathic International Alliance. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-15. Retrieved 2014-03-03.

External links

• One DO's description on "What Is A DO?"
• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) – National Institutes of Health