{{Short description|Postgraduate medical degree}} {{About|physician qualifications and titles in the United States||DO (disambiguation)}} {{pp-protected|small=yes}} {{cs1 config|name-list-style=vanc}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Osteopathic medicine}}
'''Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine''' ('''DO''' or '''D.O.''', or in Australia '''DO USA''') is a [[medicine|medical]] degree conferred by the 44 [[List of osteopathic colleges|osteopathic medical school]]s in the [[United States]], operating at 71 teaching locations across 36 states.<ref name="ome2025-pub">{{cite web |title=2025 Osteopathic Medical Education Impact Report |url=https://www.aacom.org/news-reports/aacom-publications |publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) |access-date=2026-05-30 |quote=44 accredited COMs (as of September 2025) in the United States ... 71 teaching locations across 36 states (as of September 2025)}}</ref> As of 2026, nearly 30% of all U.S. medical students are earning a DO degree,<ref name="quickfacts">{{cite web |title=Quick Facts about Osteopathic Medical Education |url=https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-osteopathic-medicine/quick-facts |publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) |access-date=2026-05-30 |quote=Today, nearly 30 percent of all U.S. medical students—are being educated at one of our 47 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine}}</ref> and over 11% of all practicing U.S. physicians hold the DO degree.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is Osteopathic Medicine? |url=https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/about-osteopathic-medicine |publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) |access-date=2026-05-30 |quote=representing more than 11 percent of all physicians in the United States}}</ref> The curricula at DO-granting medical schools are [[Comparison of MD and DO in the United States|equivalent to those at MD-granting medical schools]], which focus the first two years on the [[biomedical]] and [[clinical medicine|clinical]] sciences, then two years on [[Clerkship (medicine)|core clinical training]] in the clinical specialties.<ref name="Harrisons">{{cite book|author=Kasper, Dennis L.|author2=Eugene Braunwald|author3=Anthony S. Fauci|author4=Stephen L. Hauser|author5=Dan L. Longo|author6=J. Larry Jameson|author7=Kurt J. Isselbacher|title=Harrison's principles of internal medicine|chapter=Chapter 10. Complementary and Alternative Medicine|date=2004|publisher=McGraw-Hill|location=New York|isbn=978-0-07-139140-5|edition=16th}}</ref>
One notable difference between DO and MD training is that DOs spend an additional 300–500 hours to study pseudoscientific hands-on manipulation of the human musculoskeletal system ([[osteopathic manipulative technique]]) alongside conventional [[evidence-based medicine]] and surgery like their MD peers.<ref name="Medline" /><ref name=steve/><ref name="understanding">{{cite book|author=Swanson ES|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tQmhCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65|title=Science and Society: Understanding Scientific Methodology, Energy, Climate, and Sustainability|publisher=Springer|year=2015|isbn=978-3-319-21987-5|page=65|chapter=Pseudoscience|access-date=February 19, 2016|archive-date=May 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525193258/https://books.google.com/books?id=tQmhCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA65#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> However, most DOs do not practice this manipulation.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Diminished Use of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment and Its Impact on the Uniqueness of the Osteopathic Profession|journal=Academic Medicine|date=August 2001|page=821–828|url=https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2001&issue=08000&article=00016&type=abstract|access-date=October 15, 2025}}</ref> Upon completing medical school, a DO graduate can enter an [[Internship (medicine)|internship]] or [[Residency (medicine)|residency]] training program, which may be followed by [[Fellowship (medicine)|fellowship training]].<ref name="Harrisons" /> DO graduates attend the same [[graduate medical education]] programs as their MD counterparts.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ACGME, AOA, and AACOM Usher in New Era of Single Accreditation for Graduate Medical Education|url=https://www.acgme.org/Newsroom/Newsroom-Details/ArticleID/10568/ACGME-AOA-and-AACOM-Usher-in-New-Era-of-Single-Accreditation-for-Graduate-Medical-Education|access-date=April 7, 2021|website=ACGME|language=en-US|archive-date=January 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107000628/https://www.acgme.org/Newsroom/Newsroom-Details/ArticleID/10568/ACGME-AOA-and-AACOM-Usher-in-New-Era-of-Single-Accreditation-for-Graduate-Medical-Education|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== History == {{Further|Osteopathic medicine in the United States#History}}
[[Osteopathy]], the older form of [[Osteopathic medicine in the United States|osteopathic medicine]], began in the United States in 1874. The term "[[osteopathy]]" was coined by the physician and surgeon<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/atsu&CISOPTR=693&REC=1 |title="Medical Registration for Macon County, MO as of March 27, 1874," Missouri Digital Heritage, Secretary of State of Missouri |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029230519/http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=%2Fatsu&CISOPTR=693&REC=1 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/atsu&CISOPTR=759&CISOBOX=1&REC=2 |title=Medical registration for Adair County, MO dated 28 July 1883 |publisher=Missouri Digital Heritage, Secretary of State of Missouri |access-date=November 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029225308/http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fatsu&CISOPTR=759&CISOBOX=1&REC=2 |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[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".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.meridianinstitute.com/eamt/files/webster1/webcont.html#HOW%20I%20CAME%20TO%20ORIGINATE%20OSTEOPATHY |title=Early American Manual Therapy |access-date=October 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205145639/http://meridianinstitute.com/eamt/files/webster1/webcont.html#HOW%20I%20CAME%20TO%20ORIGINATE%20OSTEOPATHY |archive-date=December 5, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He founded the American School of Osteopathy (now [[A.T. Still University]] of the Health Sciences) in [[Kirksville, Missouri|Kirksville]], Missouri, for the teaching of osteopathy on May 10, 1892. While the state of Missouri granted the right to award the MD degree,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.gov/highereducation/AGMEC/osteopathic_med_school_accreditation_standards.pdf |title=Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation |publisher=State of New Jersey |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908041004/http://www.nj.gov/highereducation/AGMEC/osteopathic_med_school_accreditation_standards.pdf |archive-date=September 8, 2008 }}</ref> he remained dissatisfied with the limitations of conventional medicine and instead chose to retain the distinction of the DO degree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.osteopathic.org/educate.shtml |title=Osteopathic Virtual Museum |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316164329/http://history.osteopathic.org/educate.shtml |archive-date=March 16, 2012 }}</ref> In 1898 the American Institute of Osteopathy started the ''[[Journal of Osteopathy]]'' (presently known as the ''Journal of Osteopathic Medicine''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://jom.osteopathic.org/|access-date=August 24, 2021|website=Journal of Osteopathic Medicine|language=en-US|archive-date=May 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525193259/https://jom.osteopathic.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>) and by that time four states recognized the profession.<ref>{{cite journal|title=General Notices|journal=Popular Science Monthly|date=Mar 1898|page=710|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/20879097|access-date=May 14, 2013|archive-date=April 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406011725/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/20879097|url-status=live}}</ref>
The osteopathic medical profession has evolved into two branches: non-physician [[Manual therapy|manual medicine]] osteopaths, who were educated and trained outside the United States; and US-trained osteopathic physicians, who conduct a full scope of medical and surgical 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.<ref name=Medline /> 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".<ref name="Booth2006">{{cite book|author=Emmons Rutledge Booth|title=History of Osteopathy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jg6jQzKegQQC&pg=PA80|date=2006|isbn=978-3-936679-04-5|page=80|publisher=JOLANDOS eK }}</ref> Subsequently, the degree also came to be entitled "Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine".<ref name="DiGiovannaSchiowitz2005">{{cite book|author1=Eileen L. DiGiovanna|author2=Stanley Schiowitz|author3=Dennis J. Dowling|title=An Osteopathic Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tot78_5FxZwC&pg=PA3|date=2005|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|isbn=978-0-7817-4293-1|page=3}}</ref> Since the late 20th century, the AOA has preferred that this title be used exclusively.<ref name="brand">{{cite web|url=http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/news-and-publications/media-center/Pages/osteopathic-style-guide.aspx|title=Terminology for Reporting on Osteopathic Medicine|access-date=October 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514135333/http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/news-and-publications/media-center/Pages/osteopathic-style-guide.aspx|archive-date=May 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its members resolved at a 1960 conference:
{{Blockquote|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.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=8244784|date=1993|last1=Allen|first1=TW|title='Osteopathic physician' defines our identity|volume=93|issue=9|pages=884|journal=The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association}}</ref>}}
A minority of DOs continue to use the old terms, and the American Academy of Osteopathy retains the old usage in its name.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=21178160|date=2010|last1=Allen|first1=TW|title=Osteopathic medical terminology – redux|volume=110|issue=12|pages=743–744|journal=The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association}}</ref>
== Research == In 2026, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine published the first national analysis of research activities across colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs). The report, ''Research at Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine: Inventory, Analysis and Future Directions'', highlighted the rapid growth of community‑centered, clinically relevant research and identified opportunities to increase federal funding and collaboration.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Landmark AACOM Report Shows Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine are Driving Innovation in Health Research |url=https://www.aacom.org/news-reports/news/2026/04/20/landmark-aacom-report-shows-colleges-of-osteopathic-medicine-are-driving-innovation-in-health-research |publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) |date=2026-04-20 |access-date=2026-05-30}}</ref>
==Demographics== In 2018, there were 114,425 osteopathic [[physicians|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.<ref name=OMP_2012 /> In 1985, about 10 percent of DO physicians were female, compared with 41 percent in 2018.<ref name=OMP_2018>{{cite web|title=Osteopathic Medicine Profession Report 2015|url=https://osteopathic.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-OMP-Report.pdf|publisher=American Osteopathic Association|access-date=January 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201133749/https://osteopathic.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-OMP-Report.pdf|archive-date=February 1, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Between 2008 and 2012, 49 percent of new DO graduates were females.<ref name=OMP_2012>{{cite web|title=Osteopathic Medical Profession Report 2012|url=http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/about/aoa-annual-statistics/Documents/2012-OMP-report.pdf|publisher=American Osteopathic Association|access-date=December 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616054507/http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/about/aoa-annual-statistics/Documents/2012-OMP-report.pdf|archive-date=June 16, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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.<ref name=OMP_2012 /> 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.<ref name=OMP_2015>{{cite web|title=Osteopathic Medicine Profession Report 2015|url=http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/about/aoa-annual-statistics/Documents/2015-OMP-report.pdf|publisher=American Osteopathic Association|access-date=January 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201133749/https://osteopathic.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-OMP-Report.pdf|archive-date=February 1, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Education, training and distinctiveness == {{Further|Osteopathic medicine in the United States|Comparison of MD and DO in the United States}} Osteopathic medical school curricula are equivalent to those at schools granting the MD degree. Both US-granted MD and US-granted DO programs are listed in the [[World Directory of Medical Schools]] as medical schools. Furthermore, the accreditation agencies for both degrees, [[Liaison Committee on Medical Education|LCME]] and [[Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation|COCA]] for MD and DO, respectively, are recognized by the [[World Federation for Medical Education]] (WFME).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Agencies with Recognition Status - World Federation for Medical Education |url=https://wfme.org/recognition/accrediting-agencies-status/ |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=The World Federation for Medical Education |date=February 9, 2017 |language=en-GB |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328224853/https://wfme.org/recognition/accrediting-agencies-status/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Per WFME, "Recognition Status is awarded by WFME to an accrediting agency working to an internationally accepted high standard, and confers the understanding that the quality of accreditation of undergraduate medical schools is to an appropriate and rigorous standard." Once admitted to an osteopathic medical school, students study for four years 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 [[Clerkship medicine)|core clinical training]] and [[sub-internship]]s in the clinical specialties.
Osteopathic medical school accreditation standards require training in [[internal medicine]], [[Obstetrics and gynaecology|obstetrics/gynecology]], [[pediatrics]], [[family medicine]], [[surgery]], [[psychiatry]], [[emergency medicine]], [[radiology]], [[preventive medicine]], and [[public health]].<ref name=curriculum>{{cite web |title=Overview of Osteopathic Medical Education/Accreditation/The Four-Year Curriculum (2012 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book) |url=http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/2012cib/2012cib-p8.pdf |publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine |date=2012 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=February 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230201102411/https://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/2012cib/2012cib-p8.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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]]".<ref name=Harrisons />
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).<ref name=Medline>{{cite web |url=https://www.medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002020.htm |title=Doctor of Osteopathic medicine (D.O.) |author=MedLine Plus |date=2007 |work=National Institutes of Health |publisher=U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health |access-date=June 28, 2012 |archive-date=July 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705121451/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002020.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Osteopathic manipulation is a pseudoscience.<ref name=steve>{{cite web |publisher=[[Science-Based Medicine]] |vauthors=Novella S |title=Osteopathic Medicine – What Is It? |date=October 7, 2020 |url=https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/osteopathic-medicine-what-is-it/ |access-date=March 30, 2024 |archive-date=November 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231112122134/https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/osteopathic-medicine-what-is-it/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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 [[Matriculation|matriculate]] at DO schools compared to those who matriculate at MD schools within the United States. In 2021, the average MCAT and GPA for students entering US-based MD programs were 511.5 and 3.73,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Medical School Average GPA & MCAT, Admissions Statistics and Acceptance Rates (2021)|url=https://mededits.com/medical-school-admissions/statistics/|access-date=August 24, 2021|website=MedEdits|language=en-US|archive-date=August 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824005648/https://mededits.com/medical-school-admissions/statistics/|url-status=live}}</ref> respectively, and 504.0 and 3.55 for DO matriculants.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Average GPA and MCAT Score for Every Medical School (2021 Updates)|url=https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/average-gpa-and-mcat-score-for-every-medical-school|access-date=August 24, 2021|website=Shemmassian Academic Consulting|language=en-US|archive-date=April 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413045924/https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/average-gpa-and-mcat-score-for-every-medical-school|url-status=live}}</ref> DO medical schools are more likely to accept non-traditional students,<ref>{{cite web|title=Osteopathic Medical College Information Book|url=http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/2012cib/2012cib-whole.pdf|publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine|date=2012|access-date=July 5, 2012|archive-date=December 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203122326/https://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/2012cib/2012cib-whole.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Madison Park |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/13/mid.life.doctors/index.html?hpt=hp_t2/ |title=Never too late to be a doctor |publisher=CNN News |date=June 13, 2011 |access-date=December 17, 2011 |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110050733/http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/13/mid.life.doctors/index.html?hpt=hp_t2/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 a series of three osteopathic medical licensing examinations. The first two Cognitive Evaluations (CEs) of the COMLEX-USA (Level 1 and Level 2) are taken during medical school and are prerequisites for residency programs, consisting of 352 multiple-choice questions (items) each.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Examination Format — NBOME |url=https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-1/examination-format/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622185833/https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-1/examination-format/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=COMLEX-USA · Level 2-PE — NBOME |date=July 6, 2022 |url=https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-2-pe/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622185832/https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-2-pe/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Examination Format — NBOME |url=https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-2-ce/examination-format/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622185839/https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-2-ce/examination-format/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Finally, COMLEX Level 3 is usually taken during the first year of residency, and consists of 420 multiple-choice questions and 26 Clinical Decision-Making (CDM) cases.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Examination Format — NBOME |url=https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-3/exam-format/ |access-date=June 22, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622185832/https://www.nbome.org/assessments/comlex-usa/comlex-usa-level-3/exam-format/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
In addition to the COMLEX-USA, DO medical students may choose to sit for [[United States Medical Licensing Examination]] (USMLE), which is sponsored by the [[National Board of Medical Examiners]] (NBME).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/eligibility/ |title=United States Medical Licensing Examination {{pipe}} USMLE Bulletin {{pipe}} Eligibility |publisher=Usmle.org |access-date=February 22, 2012 |archive-date=June 27, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627230840/http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/eligibility/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbme.org/PDF/Publications/2012Annual-Report.pdf |title=2012 Annual Report |date=2012 |publisher=National Board of Medical Examiners |access-date=August 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509144605/http://www.nbme.org/PDF/Publications/2012Annual-Report.pdf |archive-date=May 9, 2013 }}</ref>
== 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),<ref>{{cite web|title=Board Examinations and Licensure|url=http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/2012cib/2012cib-p11.pdf|work=Medical College Information Book, 2012 edition|publisher=AACOM|access-date=November 19, 2012|archive-date=May 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505072452/http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/2012cib/2012cib-p11.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 that may want USMLE scores in addition to COMLEX scores.<ref name = COMLEX /> Those that have received or are in the process of earning an MD or DO degree are both eligible to sit for the USMLE.<ref name = DOMD-difference1 /> Because of their additional training, only DO candidates are eligible to sit for the COMLEX.<ref name = COMLEX>{{cite web|title=COMLEX-USA: Bulletin of Information|url=http://www.nbome.org/docs/comlexboi.pdf|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120916080523/http://www.nbome.org/docs/comlexBOI.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 16, 2012|publisher=National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners|access-date=November 19, 2012}}</ref>
In February 2014, the [[American Osteopathic Association]] and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education agreed to unify standard and osteopathic [[graduate medical education]] starting in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Allopathic and Osteopathic Medical Communities Commit to a Single Graduate Medical Education Accreditation System |url=https://www.acgme.org/acgmeweb/portals/0/PDFS/Nasca-Community/SingleAccreditationRelease2-26.pdf |access-date=March 3, 2014 |publisher=Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714185548/http://acgme.org/acgmeweb/portals/0/PDFS/Nasca-Community/SingleAccreditationRelease2-26.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Before 2020, DOs had the option to attend ACGME residencies or AOA residencies. From 2020, DOs and MDs attend the same [[Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education|ACGME]] residencies. 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.
Depending on the state, medical licensure may be issued from a combined board (DO and MD) or a separate board of medical examiners.<ref name=DirectoryBoards>{{cite web|title=Directory of State Medical and Osteopathic Boards|url=http://www.fsmb.org/directory_smb.html|publisher=Federation of State Medical Boards|access-date=July 6, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709175748/http://www.fsmb.org/directory_smb.html|archive-date=July 9, 2012}}</ref> All of the 70 state medical boards are members of the [[Federation of State Medical Boards]].<ref name=FSMB>{{cite web|title=Federation of State Medical Boards|url=http://www.fsmb.org/index.html|publisher=Federation of State Medical Boards|access-date=November 18, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115063540/http://www.fsmb.org/index.html|archive-date=November 15, 2012}}</ref>
Both "DOs and MDs require rigorous study in the field of medicine",<ref name = DOMD-difference2 /> with similar entry requirements and curriculum structures that are "largely the same,"<ref name = DOMD-difference1>{{cite web|title = DO vs. MD: How much does the medical school degree type matter?|date = February 1, 2023|access-date = December 3, 2023|first = Brendan|last = Murphy|publisher = [[American Medical Association]]|url = https://www.ama-assn.org/medical-students/preparing-medical-school/do-vs-md-how-much-does-medical-school-degree-type-matter|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230806135143/https://www.ama-assn.org/medical-students/preparing-medical-school/do-vs-md-how-much-does-medical-school-degree-type-matter|archive-date = August 6, 2023}}</ref> and both produce graduates who are licensed and accredited as physicians in the United States.<ref name = DOMD-difference2>{{cite web|url = https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/do-vs-md|title = What is the difference between a DO and an MD?|work = [[Medical News Today]]|date = February 19, 2020|access-date = December 3, 2023|url-status = live|archive-date = October 30, 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231030155506/https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/do-vs-md}}</ref> Retired [[U.S. Air Force|US Air Force]] [[flight surgeon]] and MD [[Harriet Hall]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Barrett |first1=Stephen |authorlink1=Stephen Barrett |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_p4GywAACAAJ |title=Consumer Health: A Guide To Intelligent Decisions |last2=Hall |first2=Harriet |authorlink2=Harriet Hall |last3=Baratz |first3=Robert S. |authorlink3=Robert Baratz |last4=London |first4=William M. |authorlink4=William M. London |last5=Kroger |first5=Manfred |date=2012 |edition=9th |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill Education]] |isbn=978-0-07-802848-9 |access-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525193259/https://books.google.com/books?id=_p4GywAACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> one of the five founding editors of ''[[Science-Based Medicine]]'',<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Plait |first=Phil |authorlink=Phil Plait |date=January 12, 2008 |title=Medical blog now online |url=https://slate.com/technology/2008/01/medical-blog-now-online.html |access-date=December 3, 2023 |magazine=[[Slate Magazine]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306023435/https://slate.com/technology/2008/01/medical-blog-now-online.html |archive-date=March 6, 2023 }}</ref> has written that US Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine "must be distinguished from 'osteopaths', members of a less regulated or unregulated profession that is practiced in many countries" as "[o]steopaths get inferior training" that is not comparable to that undertaken by DOs.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hall |first1=Harriet |author-link=Harriet Hall |title=Osteopathy Then and Now |journal=[[Skeptic (American magazine)|Skeptic]] |date=2021 |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=4–5 |url=https://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/21-07-17/#feature |access-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203031403/https://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/21-07-17/#feature |url-status=live }}</ref>
== 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aacom.org/about/osteomed/Pages/TheDifference.aspx |title=The Difference Between U.S.-Trained Osteopathic Physicians and Osteopaths Trained Abroad |date=2012 |publisher=American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine |access-date=December 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927230152/http://www.aacom.org/about/osteomed/Pages/TheDifference.aspx |archive-date=September 27, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Foreign osteopathic degrees are not recognized by any state in the US or any region else as being equivalent to American DO degrees.
=== International practice rights === The [[International Labour Organization]] (ILO), an agency of the [[United Nations]], issued a letter affirming that US-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, US-trained DOs are now categorized with all other physicians as medical doctors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2018/06/dos-receive-international-recognition-as-fully-licensed-physicians/|title=DOs receive international recognition as fully licensed physicians|date=June 20, 2018|work=[[The DO]]|publisher=[[American Osteopathic Association]]|access-date=December 30, 2019|archive-date=December 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230025151/https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2018/06/dos-receive-international-recognition-as-fully-licensed-physicians/|url-status=live}}</ref> This event took place in June 2018 and started a relay of events and opened doors for DOs as more countries started to understand and give full recognition to US-trained medical doctors with the DO degree. The Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) approved a resolution in 2019 granting the AOA's request that AMCOA recognize US-trained DOs as fully licensed physicians with practice rights equivalent to MDs, opening its 20 member countries, which include Botswana, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe to DOs.<ref name="thedo.osteopathic.org">{{Cite web|url=https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2019/04/u-s-trained-dos-recognized-as-equal-to-mds-in-19-african-countries/|title=U.S.-trained DOs recognized as equal to MDs in 20 African countries|date=April 10, 2019|work=[[The DO]]|publisher=[[American Osteopathic Association]]|access-date=December 30, 2019|archive-date=December 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230025157/https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2019/04/u-s-trained-dos-recognized-as-equal-to-mds-in-19-african-countries/|url-status=live}}</ref> (Note: Some of the member African countries of AMCOA had independently licensed DOs before; however, this recognition unifies those who did or did not).
Similarly, on November 9, 2023, during its 15th biennial Members General Assembly in Bali, Indonesia, the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) passed a resolution. This resolution endorses the acknowledgement of U.S.-trained DOs as fully licensed physicians, on par with MDs, across 47 member countries of IAMRA.<ref>{{Cite press release |author=[[American Osteopathic Association]] |title=U.S.-trained DOs gain global recognition |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-trained-dos-gain-global-recognition-301984078.html |date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=December 3, 2023 |via=[[PR Newswire]] |archive-date=November 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114010720/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-trained-dos-gain-global-recognition-301984078.html |url-status=live }}</ref> IAMRA members include the medical councils of the following countries: Albania, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Eswatini, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Oman, Pakistan, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, The Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Zimbabwe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities - Membership Listing |url=https://www.iamra.com/membership-listing |access-date=November 10, 2023 |website=www.iamra.com |archive-date=November 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110025510/https://www.iamra.com/membership-listing |url-status=live }}</ref> While many of these countries already recognized the DO as a medical degree prior to the convention, it unified many other countries under the umbrella.
Furthermore, DOs may work internationally as physicians and surgeons with any humanitarian organization such as the [[World Health Organization]] and [[Médecins Sans Frontières|Doctors Without Borders]]. The following is an international licensure summary for US-trained Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, as listed by the [[American Osteopathic Association]], that shows countries where US DOs have previously applied for licensure (countries not listed are regions with no history of US DOs applying for licensure):<ref>[https://archive.today/20130415125945/http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-dos/dos-around-the-world/Pages/frequently-asked-questions.aspx ''Frequently Asked Questions regarding International Licensure'', Council on International Osteopathic Medical Education & Affairs, American Osteopathic Association]. Contact information listed.</ref><ref name="InternationalLicensing">{{cite web |url=https://osteopathic.org/wp-content/uploads/USDO-licensure-map.png |title=USDO Licensure |date=September 2022 |access-date=December 3, 2023 |publisher=American Osteopathic Association |archive-date=April 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414031215/https://osteopathic.org/wp-content/uploads/USDO-licensure-map.png |url-status=live }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- |+AOA international licensure summary<ref name=InternationalRights>{{cite web|title=AOA International Licensure Summary|url=http://www.osteopathic.org/inside-aoa/development/licensure/Documents/AOA_International_Licensure_Summary_2013.pdf|publisher=American Osteopathic Association|date=April 2013}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> |- ! style="width:85pt;" colspan="2"| Country ! style="width:85pt;"| Year of latest policy ! style="width:85pt;"| Medical practice rights ! Requirements for licensure |- | colspan="2"|Argentina |2006 |Unlimited |Foreign physicians must submit credentials to various agencies and then appear before any of the National Universities to have their diploma recognized. |- | colspan="2"| 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 medical registration provided that the DO USA was awarded by a medical school which has been accredited by the [[Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation]]".<ref>{{cite web|date=January 18, 2017|access-date=December 3, 2023|title=Information Sheet – International medical graduates awarded the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from the United States of America|author=Medical Board of Australia|publisher=[[Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency]]|url=https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD13%2f9953&dbid=AP&chksum=ngHTVp%2f2eNatVJryiQMbPw%3d%3d|archive-date=May 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525193348/https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/documents/default.aspx?record=WD13%2F9953&dbid=AP&chksum=ngHTVp%2F2eNatVJryiQMbPw%3D%3D|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | colspan="2"| Austria |2009 |Unlimited |Hospital must have position unable to be filled by an Austrian physician. |- | colspan="2"| Bahamas |2004 |Unlimited |US license recognized. |- | colspan="2"| Bahrain |2010 |Unlimited |US license recognized. |- | colspan="2" |Bangladesh |2000s |Unlimited |US license recognized. |- | colspan="2"| Barbados |1995 |Limited |[[Osteopathic manipulative medicine]] (OMM) only. |- | colspan="2"| Belize |2009 |Unlimited |Must complete a Belizean residency for permanent license eligibility. |- | colspan="2"| 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 and Home Affairs to work on the island. |- | colspan="2"| Botswana |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"| Brazil |2007 |Unlimited |Completion of Brazilian board exam, establishing residency and some training in a Brazilian hospital is required. |- | rowspan="12" | 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 [[Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada]]. |- |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 has 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 and 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. |- | colspan="2"| Cayman Islands (UK) |1983 |Unlimited |US license recognized. |- | colspan="2"| Central African Republic |1990 |Unlimited |US licensure and annual attendance at the National Congress for Physicians. |- | colspan="2"| Chile |2008 |Unlimited |A written exam in Spanish is required, besides a series of practical tests involving common procedures (CPR, intubation, lumbar puncture, etc.). |- | colspan="2"| China |2009 |Unlimited |United States DO physicians are permitted to apply for short-term medical practice licensure. |- | colspan="2"| Colombia |1996 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. |- | colspan="2"| Costa Rica |2009 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. |- | colspan="2"| Dominican Republic |2000 |Unlimited |US license & board certification recognized. |- | colspan="2"| Ecuador |1990 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Reciprocity exists in most Latin American countries. |- | colspan="2"| Eswatini |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"| Ethiopia |2011 |Unlimited |Must renew the license every 5 years. |- | colspan="2"| Finland |1996 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. |- | colspan="2"|France |2009 |Limited |OMM only. The French government does not recognize the full scope of practice of osteopathic medicine. |- | data-sort-value="Gambia, The" ; colspan="2"|The Gambia |2011 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Germany |2008 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Depends on the need. Decisions are made on an individual basis. |- | colspan="2"| Ghana |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Greece |2009 |Unlimited |Greek citizenship is 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. |- | colspan="2"|Grenada |2007 |Unlimited |US license recognized. |- | colspan="2"|Guyana |1996 |Unlimited | Case-by-case basis. |- | colspan="2"|Honduras |2009 |Unlimited |[[Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras]] must accredit all foreign titles. After accreditation is completed, the applicant must seek registration with the Medical College of Honduras (MCH). |- | colspan="2"|Hong Kong |1998 |Unlimited |Written examination. Personal interview. Training approval. |- | colspan="2"|India |2019 |Unlimited |The Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree is fully recognized for medical and surgical practice. In 2019, the Indian National Medical Commission (NMC) approved that a DO graduate may practice the full scope of medicine in India only if they have completed Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residencies, which are already recognized by the NMC.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 21, 2019 |title=BOARD OF GOVERNORS IN SUPERSESSION OF MEDICAL COUNCIL OF INDIA SECTOR-8, POCKET-14, DWARKA PHASE-1, NEW DELHI-11 0077 |url=https://www.nmc.org.in/MCIRest/open/getDocument?path=%2FDocuments%2FPublic%2FPortal%2FMeetings%2FBoard%20of%20Governors(2018)%2F2019%2F08%2F21%2F21st%20meeting%20of%20BoG%20dt.%2021.08.2019.pdf |website=National Medical Commission |access-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516062953/https://www.nmc.org.in/MCIRest/open/getDocument?path=/Documents/Public/Portal/Meetings/Board%20of%20Governors(2018)/2019/08/21/21st%20meeting%20of%20BoG%20dt.%2021.08.2019.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> According to the Indian Medical Act of 1956, "Provided further that a person seeking provisional or permanent registration shall not have to qualify the Screening Test if he/she holds an Under Graduate medical qualification from Australia/Canada/New Zealand/United Kingdom/United States of America and the holder thereof also been awarded a Post Graduate medical qualification in Australia/Canada/New Zealand/United Kingdom/United States of America and has been recognized for enrolment as medical practitioner in that country." A U.S.-granted MD or DO satisfies the undergraduate qualification requirement of this law, and ACGME residencies fulfill the postgraduate qualification clause. At the time, the Commission requested additional time to decide on recognizing residencies under the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) for those DOs who graduated from AOA residencies prior to the 2020 AOA-ACGME merger. In 2023, the NMC formally approved the now-discontinued AOA residency system, recognizing AOA credentials for DOs who completed their training under this system before the merger.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richards |first=Raine |date=2024-01-02 |title=DOs go global: What to know about practicing osteopathic medicine abroad |url=https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2024/01/aoa-advocacy-expands-recognition-and-practice-rights-for-dos-abroad/ |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=The DO |language=en-US}}</ref> |- | colspan="2"|Indonesia |1992 |Unlimited and restricted |Foreign physicians affiliated with a university project or a mission have unlimited practice rights. No private practice is allowed. |- | colspan="2"|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). |- | colspan="2"|Israel |2007 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Hebrew required. |- | colspan="2"|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. |- | colspan="2"|Jamaica |1994 |Limited and restricted |DO physicians were permitted to supply some services while participating in a specific mission project. |- | colspan="2"|Jordan |2012 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Kenya | 2007 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Lebanon |2004 |Unlimited |AOA letter required. Examination required. |- | colspan="2"|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. |- | colspan="2"|Liberia |1990s |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. |- | colspan="2"|Luxembourg |1987 |Unlimited |The practice of medicine in Luxembourg by a doctor who is not an EU national is very rare. |- | colspan="2"|Malta |2010 |Unlimited |Accepted on a case-by-case basis if the training meets the minimum educational requirements for physicians in the EU (Article 24 of [[Directive 2005/36/EC]]). Examination required. |- | colspan="2"|Malawi |1991 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"| Mauritius |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Mexico |2011 |Unlimited & Restricted |[[Yucatán]]'s Health Secretary Alvaro Quijano of the signed a proclamation recognizing US-trained osteopathic physicians in the state of Yucatán; DO physicians may now obtain short-term and long-term licensure through the Health Secretary's office. All other Mexican states require work permits, which are only available in conjunction with the association of a short-term medical mission project. |- | colspan="2"|Micronesia |1993 |Unlimited |Statutes specifically include DOs |- | colspan="2"| Namibia |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Nepal |2008 |Unlimited |Approval by the Nepal Medical Council and a visa from the Immigration Department. |- | colspan="2"|Netherlands |2009 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. |- | colspan="2"|New Zealand |2008 |Unlimited |Hearing required. Case-by-case basis. |- | colspan="2"|Nigeria |2010 |Unlimited |US licensure and completion of specialty training required. |- | colspan="2"|Norway |2009 |Limited |OMM only, but DOs may apply for recognition as medical doctors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Norway: Osteopathic Medicine|url=http://wp.oialliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/norway_om.pdf|publisher=Osteopathic International Alliance|access-date=March 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415205620/http://wp.oialliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/norway_om.pdf|archive-date=April 15, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> |- | colspan="2"|Pakistan |2011 |Unlimited |US osteopathic medical schools meet the Medical and Dental Council's statutory regulations for international medical graduates. The scope is unlimited, but practice setting may be restricted |- | colspan="2"|Panama |2009 |Unlimited |Panamanian citizenship required. |- | colspan="2"|Papua New Guinea |2010 |Unlimited |Work permit required. Short-term or a long-term volunteer service license is also available. |- | colspan="2"|Peru |2011 |Unlimited |Process for licensure is the same as for other IMGs. |- | colspan="2"|Poland |2009 |Unlimited |Examination & Polish required. |- | colspan="2"|Qatar |2011 |Unlimited |Must possess a valid work visa, and pass written and oral examinations. |- | colspan="2"| Rwanda |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Russia |2006 |Unlimited |Foreign physicians make arrangements to practice through Russian sponsors, such as hospitals or businesses. |- | colspan="2"|Saint Lucia |2000 |Unlimited |US credentials recognized. |- | colspan="2"|Saudi Arabia |2009 |Unlimited |Foreign physicians must be recruited by a government agency, a corporation, or a private health care entity, such as a hospital. |- | colspan="2"| Seychelles |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Sierra Leone |1993 |Unlimited |Notarized US credentials recognized. |- | colspan="2"|South Africa |2019 |Unlimited |US degree recognized. The AMCOA recognition of American trained DOs gave full medical and surgical practicing rights to the professionals. Same requirements as foreign physicians. |- | colspan="2"| South Sudan |2019 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|Sweden |2005 |Unlimited |Same requirements as other foreign physicians. Applicants must have their educations evaluated in order to determine if it is equivalent to the Swedish standards. After this, applicants must complete a two-part proficiency exam consisting of theoretical and practical portions. As this test is given in Swedish, applicants must speak Swedish at Level C1 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Proficiency in Norwegian or Danish also satisfy the language requirements. A course in Swedish laws and additional clinical training is required upon a passing exam score. Some temporary allowances are made.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://legitimation.socialstyrelsen.se/en/licence-application/outside-eu-eea/doctor-of-medicine-educated-outside-eu-eea/|title=Obtaining a licence if you are educated outside EU and EEA|date=May 8, 2020|website=Legitimation|access-date=July 7, 2023|archive-date=July 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162029/https://legitimation.socialstyrelsen.se/en/licence-application/outside-eu-eea/doctor-of-medicine-educated-outside-eu-eea/|url-status=live}}</ref> |- | colspan="2"|Taiwan |2020 |Unlimited |As per licensure, a qualifying candidate graduated from the department of medicine in a foreign university or independent college recognized by the R.O.C. Ministry of Education.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Appendix I Staged Senior Professional and Technical Examinations for Medical Doctors, Dentists, TCM Practitioners, and Pharmacists—Eligibility Requirements|url=https://wwwc.moex.gov.tw/english/controls/wHandEditorExtend_File.ashx?Fun=Menu&menu_id=3331&item_id=3331&file_id=7849|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121003920/https://wwwc.moex.gov.tw/english/controls/wHandEditorExtend_File.ashx?Fun=Menu&menu_id=3331&item_id=3331&file_id=7849 |archive-date=November 21, 2021 |publisher=[[Ministry of Education (Taiwan)|Republic of China Ministry of Education]]}}</ref> All US issued DO medical degree programs are recognized by the R.O.C. Ministry of Education, since United States DO physicians are permitted to apply for medical practice licensure in R.O.C. since 2009.
|- | colspan="2"|Tanzania |1985 |Unlimited |US license and GME recognized. Temporary work permits are available. |- | colspan="2"|Uganda |2008 |Unlimited | |- | colspan="2"|United Arab Emirates |2009 |Unlimited |Examination required. |- | colspan="2"|United Kingdom |2005 |Unlimited |US-trained DO physicians are eligible for full medical practice rights. Applicants must pass the [[Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board]] (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. |- | colspan="2"|Venezuela |2007 |Unlimited |Recognized status under the law of the practice of medicine. |- | colspan="2"|Vietnam |1995 |Unlimited |Foreign physicians can fill vacancies in hospitals that need certain specialists. |- | colspan="2"|Zambia |2009 |Unlimited |US licensure required. |- | colspan="2"|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. |- !colspan="5" | '''OMM: [[Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine]]''' |}
==See also== * [[List of medical schools in the United States]]
== Notes and references == {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002020.htm Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)] – National Institutes of Health
{{Osteopathic medicine3|state=collapsed}} {{Osteopathic medical schools}} {{Medicine}} {{Medical education in the United States}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osteopathic Medicine}} [[Category:Academic degrees in healthcare]] [[Category:Doctoral degrees]] [[Category:Academic degrees of the United States]] [[Category:Medical degrees]] [[Category:Osteopathic medicine]]