A DO is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, one of two types of fully licensed physicians in the United States. DOs have the same practice rights as MDs: they can prescribe medication, perform surgery, and specialize in any field of medicine. There are currently more than 167,000 osteopathic physicians practicing in the U.S., with nearly 40,000 more in training.
How DOs Compare to MDs
The U.S. has two paths to becoming a physician: earning an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine). Both degrees lead to full medical licensure. DOs can take the same licensing exams as MDs, complete the same residency programs, and practice in every specialty, from emergency medicine and surgery to dermatology and pediatrics.
The key difference is in medical school. DO students follow a curriculum that’s structured much like an MD program, spending roughly the first one to two years in the classroom and the rest in clinical rotations. But DO programs add training in the musculoskeletal system and a hands-on technique called osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT. This is the main thing that sets the two degrees apart on paper. In day-to-day clinical practice, most patients won’t notice a meaningful difference between care from an MD and care from a DO.
The Osteopathic Philosophy
Osteopathic medicine is built around four core principles. The first is that the body functions as a unit of body, mind, and spirit, not as a collection of separate organ systems. The second is that the body has a built-in ability to heal and regulate itself. The third is that the structure of the body and its function are deeply connected, so problems with alignment or mobility can affect overall health. The fourth ties it together: effective treatment should account for all three of the principles above rather than focusing narrowly on a single symptom.
In practice, this means DO training emphasizes looking at the whole person. A patient coming in with chronic headaches, for example, might be asked not just about the headaches themselves but about posture, stress, sleep, and musculoskeletal tension that could be contributing. This approach doesn’t replace standard medical care. It adds a layer of assessment on top of it.
What Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Involves
OMT is a set of hands-on techniques that DOs learn to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. The goal is to ensure that bones and muscles are properly aligned and balanced, encouraging the body to heal itself. Not every DO uses OMT regularly in practice, but all are trained in it. Common techniques include:
- Muscle energy: The physician guides you through specific movements to relax and lengthen tight muscles, improving range of motion, easing pain, and boosting circulation.
- Myofascial release: Gentle, sustained pressure on the connective tissue surrounding muscles to promote blood flow and relieve pain.
- Rib raising: A technique that gently lifts the ribs to stretch surrounding tissue, open the ribcage, and improve breathing.
These techniques involve stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance applied with the hands. They’re most commonly used for back pain, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal issues, but some DOs apply them more broadly for conditions like sinus problems, asthma, or recovery after surgery.
Training and Residency
DO students attend four-year osteopathic medical schools accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. The classroom and clinical structure mirrors MD programs closely, with the addition of coursework in osteopathic principles and hands-on manipulation skills.
After medical school, DOs enter residency training just like MDs. Since 2020, all physician residency programs in the U.S. operate under a single accreditation system run by the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education). This merger eliminated the previously separate DO residency track and placed all medical graduates into the same system. During the five-year transition period, 98 percent of previously DO-only residency programs successfully achieved ACGME accreditation. Some residency programs now carry “Osteopathic Recognition,” meaning they formally integrate osteopathic principles into their training for residents who want to continue developing those skills.
The practical result is that MD and DO graduates compete for the same residency slots, train under the same standards, and demonstrate the same competency milestones before they’re cleared to practice independently.
Where DOs Practice
DOs work in every medical specialty. Historically, osteopathic medicine has had strong ties to primary care, and a significant share of DOs practice in family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. But the profession has expanded considerably. You’ll find DOs working as surgeons, anesthesiologists, psychiatrists, cardiologists, and in virtually every other field.
Within the U.S., DOs hold full practice rights in all 50 states. Internationally, DOs have full practice rights in more than 65 countries. That said, recognition varies, and DOs planning to work abroad should verify their credentials will be accepted in the specific country they’re considering.
What This Means if You’re Choosing a Doctor
If you’re deciding between a physician with an MD and one with a DO after their name, the degree alone shouldn’t be a deciding factor. Both have completed medical school, residency, and board certification. Both are licensed to provide the full range of medical care. The most important considerations are the physician’s experience, specialty training, communication style, and whether you feel comfortable in their care.
Where the DO distinction might matter to you is if you’re specifically interested in a more hands-on, musculoskeletal-focused approach. A DO who actively practices OMT can offer manual techniques alongside conventional treatment, which some patients find helpful for pain management and recovery. If that appeals to you, it’s worth asking during your first visit whether the physician incorporates OMT into their practice, since not all DOs use it routinely in their clinical work.