What is the difference between an MD and a OD?

MDs generally focus on treating specific conditions with medication. DOs, on the other hand, tend to focus on whole-body healing, with or without traditional medication. They generally have a stronger holistic approach and have been trained with additional hours of hands-on techniques.

How DO Osteopaths diagnose?

A thorough osteopathic diagnosis connects the patient’s history and physical exam to the structural evaluation. As the physician places his or her hands upon the patient, structural dynamics are perceived, and can often be directly linked to the patient’s presenting complaint and trauma history.

What are osteopathic doctors?

A doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO) is a physician licensed to practice medicine, perform surgery, and prescribe medicine. Like all allopathic physicians (or MDs), osteopathic physicians complete 4 years of medical school and can choose to practice in any specialty of medicine.

How does the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine feel?

The osteopathic physician’s highly developed sense of touch allows the physician to feel (palpate) the patient’s living anatomy (the flow of fluids, motion and texture of tissues, and structural makeup).

Who is the dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine?

“We are fully licensed and certified physicians who have a few extra tools in our toolkit,” says William Burke, DO, dean of the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Dublin. More than half of DOs focus on primary care as internists, family doctors, and pediatricians.

Do you have to be AOA member to practice osteopathy?

AOA membership is required for specialty certification, which forces some practitioners to belong to the AOA even though they do not approve of the organization’s policies. Since 1985, osteopathic physicians have been able to obtain residency training in medical hospital programs, and the majority have done so.