Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO): Training, OMM & Practice Rights

What Is a DO?

A Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) is a fully licensed physician who graduates from a U.S. college of osteopathic medicine.

Training Parity + Extra

• Same core medical curriculum as MDs.
• Additional 200+ hours in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) – hands‑on diagnosis/treatment using musculoskeletal system.

Practice Rights

• Licensed in all 50 states.
• Full scope: prescribe, perform surgery, deliver babies, specialize (any field).
• Considered primary care physicians; many enter family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, EM, surgery, OB/Gyn.

DOs and MDs are legally and professionally equivalent; the DO philosophy emphasizes whole‑person care and structure‑function interrelationship.