DO stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. A physician with “DO” after their name has completed medical school, residency training, and is fully licensed to practice medicine, prescribe medications, and perform surgery in all 50 U.S. states. DOs receive the same core medical education as MDs but with additional training in the musculoskeletal system and a hands-on treatment method called osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).
How DO Training Compares to MD Training
The structure of medical school is largely the same for both degrees. Students typically spend their first 12 to 24 months in the classroom studying anatomy, pharmacology, pathology, and other foundational sciences, then shift to clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics for the remainder of their training. Both paths take four years of medical school followed by three to seven years of residency, depending on the specialty.
The key difference is that DO students receive additional coursework in osteopathic manipulative treatment and spend more time studying the musculoskeletal system. This training teaches them to use their hands to diagnose problems and treat conditions by manipulating muscles, joints, and connective tissue. MDs do not receive this training.
Since 2020, DOs and MDs train side by side in the same residency programs. A five-year transition merged the previously separate accreditation systems into a single one overseen by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Ninety-eight percent of previously osteopathic-only residency programs successfully made the transition. Some residency programs now carry “Osteopathic Recognition,” meaning they formally integrate osteopathic principles into their curriculum for residents who want to continue developing those skills.
Licensing and Practice Rights
DOs take their own licensing exam, the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA), though many DO students also take the USMLE, which is the standard licensing exam for MDs. Passing either exam grants full medical licensure. DOs can practice any medical specialty, from family medicine to neurosurgery, and have full practice rights in more than 65 countries worldwide.
The Osteopathic Philosophy
Osteopathic medicine is built on four core principles recognized by the American Osteopathic Association. The first is that the body is a unit of body, mind, and spirit, not a collection of separate parts. The second is that the body is capable of self-regulation and self-healing. The third is that structure and function are connected: how a body part is built affects how it works, and vice versa. The fourth is that effective treatment comes from understanding all three of those ideas together.
In practice, this means DOs are trained to look beyond the specific symptom a patient presents with and consider how other parts of the body, along with lifestyle, stress, and environment, might be contributing. The emphasis is on prevention and on helping the body heal itself when possible, rather than only treating disease after it appears.
What Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Looks Like
OMT is the most visible skill that sets DOs apart. It’s a set of hands-on techniques used to diagnose and treat pain, improve mobility, and support the body’s healing processes. Most people who receive OMT are seeking help with lower back pain, neck pain, or migraines, but DOs use it for a broader range of conditions including congestion, digestive issues, and swelling.
Common OMT techniques include:
- Myofascial release: gentle sustained pressure on tight muscle and connective tissue to improve blood flow and ease pain
- Muscle energy: the patient actively contracts specific muscles against the doctor’s resistance to relax and lengthen them, increasing range of motion
- Lymphatic pump: rhythmic pumping motions applied to the chest, abdomen, or feet to clear blockages in the lymphatic system and reduce swelling
DOs can also perform thrust-based “popping” techniques similar to what a chiropractor might do, though these tend to be used less frequently. OMT has also shown potential benefits during pregnancy for improving sleep and relieving pain, and some DOs use gentle techniques for infants with colic, feeding difficulties, or recurrent ear infections.
Not every DO uses OMT regularly. Many practice in specialties where it’s less relevant, such as psychiatry or pathology, and their day-to-day work looks identical to that of an MD in the same field.
How Common Are DOs?
The osteopathic profession has grown rapidly. More than 25% of all medical students in the U.S. are now enrolled in osteopathic medical schools, with approximately 40,000 students in DO programs for the 2025-26 academic year. Including practicing physicians and current students, the total reaches over 207,000 DOs and DO students nationwide.
You’re increasingly likely to encounter a DO as your primary care doctor, surgeon, or specialist. From a patient’s perspective, the care you receive from a DO is functionally equivalent to what you’d receive from an MD, with the added option of hands-on osteopathic treatment when it’s relevant to your condition. Both degrees represent fully trained, fully licensed physicians.