By Elva K.
Overview
In the United States there are a variety of different medical specialties. However, in terms of the graduate degrees that physicians have, typically physicians are either medical doctors (MDs) or they are doctors of osteopathy (DOs). Both MDs and DOs are legally licensed to provide diagnosis, treatment and prescribe medication. And generally speaking, MDs and DOs both work throughout all states in the United States. Although there are many similarities, there are some differences between MDs and DOs. The following article will describe the job tasks of osteopathic doctors or DOs.
Step 1
Osteopathic medicine emphasizes the whole person as opposed to solely focusing on the symptoms that the patient is displaying. Osteopathists understand that illness in one part of the body can impact multiple systems in the body and there is much emphasis on how to use modern medical technology to help patients prevent illness before it ever happens. The American Association of Osteopathy is the major governing body for the profession, and it works to preserve osteopathic principles within the practice of medicine and promote osteopathic care.
Step 2
Although osteopathic physicians are medical doctors, osteopathic physicians are not always trained in the same medical schools as MDs because there are special osteopathic medical schools in the United States such as (for example) AT Still College of Osteopathic Medicine in Mesa, Arizona or Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine/Midwestern University in Downey, Illinois or Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Des Moines, Iowa. Also of note, in the past osteopathists have had to fight for the right to be considered equal to MDs. However, at the present time osteopathic physicians are a part of the American Medical Association (AMA) and osteopathic physicians are medical doctors who share equal status with MDs as licensed as physicians in all states in the United States.
Step 3
Osteopathic physicians are similar to MDs in the sense that both have to complete four years of undergraduate study and then four years of medical school training. And then after finishing osteopathic medical school and attaining the doctor of osteopathy degree, osteopathic students are trained alongside MDs and they must do residency where they choose a specialty such as family practice, internal medicine, surgery, radiology or pediatrics or whatever specialty they choose. Also similar to MDs, osteopathic physicians must complete state medical licensing examinations in order to be licensed as physicians.
Step 4
Osteopaths are different from MDs in that the osteopathic medical school training includes not only the usual medical school courses such as anatomy, chemistry and other science courses but also includes courses in holistic patient care and manipulative therapy because osteopathy has a unique medical philosophy called Osteopathic Manipulative Theory (OMT). Because of OMT, osteopaths are trained to use their hands to diagnose and treat patient illness by doing manipulative therapy where they do adjustments to the spine. They adjust the spine in order to facilitate patient recovery from illness or to prevent illness from occurring. Manipulative therapy is used to treat a variety of health problems such as back pain, carpel tunnel, menstrual pain, migraine headaches or sinus problems. Studies of OMT have reportedly indicated that manipulation therapy does work for people of all ages and results in fewer trips to the doctor and in restored health.
Step 5
Of note, even though all osteopaths are trained to do manipulative therapy, not all osteopaths do manipulative therapy after they become licensed physicians because some choose to practice in medical specialties where manipulative therapy is not needed for treatment. Much depends on the particular physician's individual choices. Currently there are approximately 44,000 osteopathic physicians working in the United States. A majority of these osteopathic physicians specialize in primary care and work in rural areas or medically underserved areas. There are osteopaths in other countries too. Also there is continual interest being expressed by foreign doctors (who are not osteopaths) but who want to learn more about osteopathy and so it is expected that the profession will continue to grow in the coming years.
Osteopathic Doctor Job Description by livelihoodlife.com