Osteopathic medicine in the United States |
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Andrew Taylor Still (founder) |
Most physicians in the United States hold either the Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) or the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO). [1] Institutions awarding the MD are accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Institutions awarding the DO are accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). The World Directory of Medical Schools lists both LCME accredited MD programs and COCA accredited DO programs as US medical schools. Foreign-trained osteopaths do not hold DO degrees and are not recognized as physicians in the United States or in other jurisdictions.
The curriculum and coursework at MD- and DO-granting schools is virtually indistinguishable other than the addition of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), [2] which is taught at DO-granting schools only. One OMM practice, cranial therapy, has received criticism regarding its efficacy and therapeutic value. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Both MD and DO degree holders must complete Graduate Medical Education (GME) via residency and optional fellowship in any medical specialty of choice after medical school in order to practice medicine and surgery in the United States. [8] Since 2020, all DO and MD graduates complete GME training at a program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Before 2020, practicing physicians holding the DO could have completed GME training at a program approved by either the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) or ACGME. Historically AOA-approved GME programs either gained approval by the ACGME or were dissolved with the 2020 merger between the AOA and the ACGME.
Physicians who bear an MD or DO can be licensed to practice medicine and surgery in all states.
The history of the MD and DO degrees differ significantly.
While MD schools have followed the development of society, osteopathic medicine is a more recent development. The first MD school in the United States opened in 1807 in New York.[ citation needed ] In 1845, the American Medical Association was formed, and standards were put into place, with a three-year program including lectures, dissection, and hospital experience.[ citation needed ] In 1892, frontier physician Andrew Taylor Still founded the American School of Osteopathy (now A.T. Still University) in Kirksville, Missouri, as a protest against the present medical system. Still believed that the conventional medical system lacked credible efficacy, was morally corrupt, and treated effects rather than causes of disease. [9] Throughout the 1900s, DOs gained practice rights and government recognition. The first state to pass regulations allowing DOs medical practice rights was California in 1901, the last was Nebraska in 1989. [10] Up through the 1960s, osteopathic medicine was labeled a cult by the American Medical Association, and collaboration by physicians with osteopathic practitioners was considered to be unethical. [11]
The American Medical Association's current definition of a physician is "an individual who has received a 'Doctor of Medicine' or a 'Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine' degree or an equivalent degree following successful completion of a prescribed course of study from a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine." [12]
In a 2005 editorial about mitigating the impending shortage of physicians in the United States, Jordan Cohen, MD, then-president of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) stated:
After more than a century of often bitterly contentious relationships between the osteopathic and allopathic medical professions, we now find ourselves living at a time when osteopathic and allopathic graduates are both sought after by many of the same residency programs; are in most instances both licensed by the same licensing boards; are both privileged by many of the same hospitals; and are found in appreciable numbers on the faculties of each other's medical schools. [13]
Of the 989,320 physicians actively practicing in the United States as of December 31, 2022, 66% hold an MD degree granted in the U.S., 26% are international medical graduates (IMG), and 8% hold a DO degree. [14] The percentage of physicians that hold a DO degree varies by specialty, with the greatest representation in Family Medicine/General Practice (16.5% of general practitioners), Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (13.8%), and Emergency Medicine (11.2%) [2016 data]. [15] IMG physicians are more likely to enter primary care specialties than US MD physicians. [16] As of 2007, IMG physicians represented 36% of internal medicine physicians, 29% of anesthesiologists, 31.4% of psychiatrists, 28% of pediatricians, 17.8% of family physicians, 17.8% of OB/GYNs, 18.8% of radiologists and 20% of general surgeons. [16]
As of 2015, 9.0% of residents and fellows in medical training programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), which accredits all residency programs, hold a DO degree. [15] 65.1% of the 19,302 DO graduates enrolled in post-doctoral training are in ACGME-accredited programs, with the remainder in AOA programs. [17] Since 2020, the ACGME accredits all residency programs in the United States for both MDs and DOs. [18]
There are significantly more MDs than DOs. However, the number of DOs is increasing at a rate faster than MDs. [19] A 2012 survey of students applying to both U.S. MD and DO schools found that 9% of applicants were admitted only to an MD school, 46% were admitted only to a DO school, 26% were admitted to both, and 19% were not admitted to any medical schools. [20] Geographic location was the top reason given by both DO and MD students for choosing the school in which they enrolled. [20] Of first-year medical students matriculating in 2016, 25.9% (7,369 students) entered US-DO schools and 74.1% (21,030 students) entered US-MD schools. [19] The Association of American Medical Colleges projects that from 2016 to 2021, first-year DO student enrollment will increase by 19.4% versus a 5.7% increase in MD students. [19] Between 1980 and 2005, the annual number of new MDs remained stable at around 16,000. During the same period, the number of new DOs increased by more than 150% (from about 1,000 to about 2,800). [21] The number of new MDs per 100,000 people fell from 7.5 to 5.6, while the number of new DOs per 100,000 rose from 0.4 to 0.8. [21]
The geographic distribution of MD and DO physicians is not uniform. As of 2012, the states with the greatest ratio of active physicians holding a DO degree versus active physicians holding an MD degree were Oklahoma (20.7% of physicians), Iowa, Michigan, Maine, and West Virginia. During that same year, the states with the greatest ratio of active physicians holding an MD degree versus a DO degree were Louisiana, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland, and Connecticut. [22] The states with the greatest per capita number of MD physicians are Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and Connecticut. [22]
The sex and racial distribution of DOs and MDs are similar. [23]
While the number of MD students and MD schools is significantly greater than the number of DO students and DO schools, MD schools have applied for and received 800 times more funding for scientific and clinical research from the National Institutes of Health than DO schools. In 2011, DO schools ranked last out of 17 types of educational institutions, including veterinary medicine, optometry, social work, and dentistry. [19] [24] [16] In 2014, an article in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association stated that research from osteopathic schools amounted to "fewer than 15 publications per year per school, and more than a quarter of these publications had never been cited. Clearly, scholarly contributions from osteopathic medical schools are unacceptably low in both quantity and quality." [24]
About sixteen percent of IMG MD physicians hold academic positions, whereas eighty percent practice medicine in community settings. [16]
Several studies have investigated whether there is a difference in the approach to patients by MDs and DOs. A study of patient visits to general and family medicine physicians in the U.S., including 277 million visits to MDs and 65 million visits to DOs, found that there was no significant difference between DOs and MDs with regard to time spent with patients and preventive medicine services. [25]
The study of approximately 341 million healthcare visits founds that there was no difference on the rate that doctors provided to patients diet or nutrition counseling, weight-reduction counseling, exercise counseling, tobacco use or exposure counseling, and mental health or stress reduction counseling. [25] Some authors[ who? ] describe subjective distinctions in patient interactions, but Avery Hurt writes, "In actual practice, the variations between the two types of physicians are often so slight as to be unnoticeable to patients, and a day in the life of each can appear indistinguishable. The differences are there—subtle, but deep." [26]
A study published by the Journal of General Internal Medicine found significant differences in the attitudes of DOs and MDs. The study found that 40.1% of MD students and physicians described themselves as "socioemotionally" oriented over "technoscientific" orientation. In comparison, 63.8% of their DO counterparts self-identified as socioemotional. [23]
One study of DOs attempted to investigate their perceptions of differences in philosophy and practice between themselves and their MD counterparts: "59 percent of the respondents believed they practiced differently from allopathic physicians, and 72 percent of the follow-up responses indicated that the osteopathic approach to treatment was a primary distinguishing feature, mainly incorporating the application of OMT, a caring doctor–patient relationship, and a hands-on style." [27]
As the training of DOs and MDs became less distinct, some expressed concern that the unique characteristics of osteopathic medicine would be lost. [28] Others welcomed the rapprochement and already considered modern medicine to be the type of medicine practiced by both "MD and DO type doctors". [29] One persistent difference is the respective acceptance of the terms "allopathic" and "osteopathic." DO medical schools and organizations all include the word osteopathic in their names, and such groups actively promote an "osteopathic approach" to medicine. While "osteopathy" was a term used by its founder AT Still in the 19th century to describe his new philosophy of medicine, "allopathic medicine" was originally a derogatory term coined by Samuel Hahnemann to contrast the conventional medicine of his day with his alternative system of homeopathic medicine. [30] [31] Some authors argue that the terms "osteopathic" and "allopathic" should be dropped altogether, since their original meanings bear little relevance to the current practice of modern medicine. [32] [33]
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredits the 144 U.S. medical schools that award the MD degree, [34] [35] while the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)'s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) accredits the 38 osteopathic medical schools that award the DO degree. [36] Osteopathic medical schools tend to be affiliated with smaller universities. [37]
Michigan State University, Rowan University, and Nova Southeastern University offer both MD and DO accredited programs. [38] In 2009, Kansas City University proposed starting a dual MD/DO program in addition to the existing DO program, [39] and the University of North Texas explored the possibility of starting an MD program that would be offered alongside the DO program. [38] Both proposals were met with controversy. Proponents argued that adding an MD program would lead to the creation of more local residency programs and improve the university's ability to acquire research funding and state funding, while opponents wanted to protect the discipline of osteopathy.
61% of graduating seniors at osteopathic medical schools evaluated that over half of their required in-hospital training was delivered by MD physicians. [40] Overall, osteopathic medical schools have more modest research programs compared to MD schools, and fewer DO schools are part of universities that own a hospital. [41] Osteopathic medical schools tend to have a stronger focus on primary care medicine than MD schools. [41] DO schools have developed various strategies to encourage their graduates to pursue primary care, such as offering accelerated three-year programs for primary care, focusing clinical education in community health centers, and selecting rural or under-served urban areas for the location of new campuses. [41]
Many authors note the most obvious difference between the curricula of DO and MD schools is osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM), a form of hands-on care used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness or injury and is taught only at DO schools. As of 2006, the average osteopathic medical student spent almost eight weeks on clerkships for OMM during their third and fourth years. [42] The National Institute of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states that overall, studies have shown that spinal manipulation can provide mild-to-moderate relief from low-back pain and appears to be as effective as conventional medical treatments. [43] In 2007 guidelines, the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society include spinal manipulation as one of several treatment options for practitioners to consider using when pain does not improve with self-care. [44] [45] Spinal manipulation is generally a safe treatment for low-back pain. Serious complications are very rare. [43] A 2001 survey of DOs found that more than 50% of the respondents used OMT (osteopathic manipulative treatment) on less than 5% of their patients. The survey was the latest indication that DOs have become more like MD physicians in all respects: fewer perform OMT, more prescribe drugs, and many perform surgery as a first option. [46] One area which has been implicated, but not been formally studied regarding the decline in OMT usage among DOs in practice, is the role of reimbursement changes. [47] Only in the last several years could a DO charge for both an office visit (Evaluation & Management services) and use a procedure (CPT) code when performing OMT; previously, it was bundled. [47]
The use of standardized exams as indicators of performance or aptitude has been debated.[ citation needed ] However, while less than the difference between other factors such as race (which may affect MCAT scores by 9 points or more [48] ), there is a statistical difference of about 5 points on average MCAT scores of those who matriculate at DO schools versus those who matriculate at MD schools. There is also a difference of 0.16 GPA between MD and DO matriculants. In 2016, the average MCAT and GPA for students entering U.S.-based MD programs were 508.7 and 3.70, [49] respectively, and 503.8 and 3.54 for DO matriculants. [50] DO medical schools are more likely to accept non-traditional students, who are older, coming to medicine as a second career, etc. [51] [52]
MD students take United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE)'s series of three licensing exams during and after medical school.
DO students are required to take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensure Examination (COMLEX-USA) that is administered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME). This exam is a prerequisite for DO-associated residency programs, which are available in almost every specialty of medicine and surgery. DO medical students may also choose to sit for the USMLE if they wish to increase their competitiveness for residency [53] and about 48% take USMLE Step 1. [40] However, if they have taken COMLEX, it may or may not be needed, depending on the individual institution's program requirements. [54] [55] [56]
Currently, the ACGME accredits all MD and DO residency programs, while previously the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accredited all DO residency programs. Now all DO students apply to ACGME-accredited residency programs through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) rather than completing a DO residency. As of 2014, 54% of DOs in post-doctoral training are enrolled in an ACGME-accredited residency program and 46% are enrolled in an AOA-accredited residency program. [17]
Since 1981, a single residency training program can be dual-accredited by both the ACGME and the AOA. [57] The number of dually accredited programs increased from 11% of all AOA approved residencies in 2006 to 14% in 2008, and then to 22% in 2010. [58] In 2000, the AOA adopted a provision making it possible for a DO resident in any MD program to apply for osteopathic approval of their training. [59] The topic of dual-accreditation is controversial. Opponents claim that by merging DO students into the "MD world", the unique quality of osteopathic philosophy will be lost. [28] Supporters claim the programs are popular because of the higher prestige and higher resident reimbursement salaries associated with MD programs. [60]
Over five years starting in July 2015, the AOA, AACOM, and the ACGME will create a single, unified accreditation system for graduate medical education programs in the United States. [61] [62] This will ensure that all physicians trained in the U.S. will have the same graduate medical education accreditation, and as of June 30, 2020, the AOA will cease its accreditation functions. [62]
There are notable differences in the specialty choices of DOs and MDs. 60% of DOs work in primary care specialties, [63] compared to 35% of MDs. [64]
For IMG graduates applying for residency training in the US, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates assesses the applicants' preparedness for entering these US training programs. IMG physicians tend to enter primary care at higher rates than US MD physicians.
MD | DO | |||||
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Standardized admissions examination | Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) | |||||
Medical school application service | AMCAS/TMDSAS | AACOM/TMDSAS | ||||
Years of medical school | 4 | |||||
Medical Licensing Exams (MLE) | USMLE required |
| ||||
Residency (Prior to June 30, 2020) | MD (ACGME) | One must be selected:
| ||||
Residency (Current) | ACGME | |||||
Board certification | MD medical specialty boards | Either DO or MD medical specialty boards |
To maintain a professional license to practice medicine, U.S. physicians are required to complete ongoing additional training, known as continuing medical education (CME). CME requirements differ from state to state and between the American Osteopathic Medical Association (DO) and the American Medical Association (MD) governing bodies.
An MD degree is accepted in most countries worldwide, while the DO degree is currently accepted in 85 countries abroad; this does not indicate that the DO degree is rejected in the rest of the countries but showcases a history of graduates approaching the medical boards of the accepting countries. [65] DO graduates may apply to countries outside of the 85 countries for recognition or practicing rights. Accredited DO and MD medical schools are both included in the World Health Organization's World Directory of Medical Schools. [66]
Osteopathy, unlike osteopathic medicine, which is a branch of the medical profession in the United States, is a pseudoscientific system of alternative medicine that emphasizes physical manipulation of the body's muscle tissue and bones. In most countries, practitioners of osteopathy are not medically trained and are referred to as osteopaths.
Osteopathic medicine is a branch of the medical profession in the United States that promotes the practice of science-based medicine, often referred to in this context as allopathic medicine, with a set of philosophy and principles set by its earlier form, osteopathy. Osteopathic physicians (DOs) are graduates of American osteopathic medical colleges and are licensed to practice the full scope of medicine and surgery in all 50 U.S. states. The field is distinct from osteopathic practices offered in nations outside of the U.S.—in which practitioners are generally considered neither parts of core medical staff nor of medicine itself; rather, they are considered alternative medicine practitioners. The other major branch of medicine in the United States is referred to by practitioners of osteopathic medicine as allopathic medicine.
The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step examination program for medical licensure in the United States sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Physicians with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree are required to pass the USMLE for medical licensure. However, those with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO) are required to take the COMLEX-USA (COMLEX) exams but may also sit for the USMLE as well.
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) is the representative member organization for the more than 176,000 osteopathic medical doctors (D.O.s) and osteopathic medical students in the United States. The AOA is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and is involved in post-graduate training for osteopathic physicians. Beginning in 2015, it began accrediting post-graduate education as a committee within the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, creating a unified accreditation system for all DOs and MDs in the United States. The organization promotes public health, encourages academic scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s overseeing 18 certifying boards, and is the accrediting agency for osteopathic medical schools through its Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. As of October 2015, the AOA no longer owns the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), which accredited hospitals and other health care facilities.
Medical education in the United States includes educational activities involved in the education and training of physicians in the country, with the overall process going from entry-level training efforts through to the continuing education of qualified specialists in the context of American colleges and universities.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) is the body responsible for accrediting all graduate medical training programs for physicians in the United States. It is a non-profit private council that evaluates and accredits medical residency and internship programs.
The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) is a series of three osteopathic medical licensing examinations administered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) similar to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). COMLEX-USA is the most common pathway by which osteopathic physicians (D.Os) apply for medical licensure, and is accepted in all 50 states. The 3-digit standard scores of COMLEX-USA Level 1, Level 2- Cognitive Evaluation (CE), and Level 3 have a range of 9-999 and a mean of 500. Most candidates score between 250 and 800. 400 is the minimum passing score for COMLEX-USA Levels 1 and 2; 350 for COMLEX-USA Level 3. It was announced on January 24, 2022, that the COMLEX-USA Level 1 examination will be moving from a 3-digit numeric score to solely pass/fail beginning on May 10, 2022.
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) is an accrediting body for educational programs at schools of medicine in the United States and Canada. The LCME is sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association.
An international medical graduate (IMG), earlier known as a foreign medical graduate (FMG), is a physician who has graduated from a medical school outside of the country where he or she intends to practice. The term non-local medical graduate may be similarly used in countries with distinct licensing regions within them. Generally, the medical school of graduation is one listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOM) as accredited by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research or the World Health Organization.
Medical school in the United States is a graduate program with the purpose of educating physicians in the undifferentiated field of medicine. Such schools provide a major part of the medical education in the United States. Most medical schools in the US confer upon graduates a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, while some confer a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Most schools follow a similar pattern of education, with two years of classroom and laboratory based education, followed by two years of clinical rotations in a teaching hospital where students see patients in a variety of specialties. After completion, graduates must complete a residency before becoming licensed to practice medicine.
The New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYIT-COM) is a private medical school located primarily in Old Westbury, New York. It also has a degree-granting campus in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Founded in 1977, NYIT-COM is an academic division of the New York Institute of Technology. Formerly the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, it is one of the largest medical schools in the United States. As of 2023, the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine has a 100 percent match rate, with all members of the Class of 2023 placed into residencies.
Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons v. California Medical Association, 224 Cal. App. 2d 378 was a legal case between two medical associations in the state of California. The case was under review in California state courts from 1962-1964. After numerous appeals, the California Supreme Court ruling found the California Medical Association's refusal to grant osteopathic physicians licensure to practice medicine in the state of California to be unconstitutional.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is a medical degree conferred by the 38 osteopathic medical schools in the United States. DO and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees are equivalent: a DO graduate may become licensed as a physician or surgeon and thus have full medical and surgical practicing rights in all 50 US states. As of 2021, there were 168,701 osteopathic physicians and medical students in DO programs across the United States. Osteopathic medicine emerged historically from the quasi-medical practice of osteopathy, but has become a distinct and proper medical profession.
Osteopathic medicine in Canada is similar to conventional medicine in Canada, with the addition of osteopathic manipulation to diagnose and treat patients. Osteopathic physicians hold equal practice rights to non-osteopathic physicians (MDs) in Canada. North American osteopathic medicine requires an osteopathic physician to be trained and receive the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree granted by a College of Osteopathic Medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association.
In 2006, hospice and palliative medicine was officially recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties, and is co-sponsored by the American Boards of
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The American Osteopathic Board of Neurology and Psychiatry (AOBNP) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and non-osteopathic physicians who specialize in disorders of the nervous system (neurologists) and to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine and physicians who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders (psychiatrists).
The American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology (AOBA) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) and non-osteopathic physicians who specialize in the administration of anesthetic agents and perioperative medicine (anesthesiologists). The board is one of 16 medical specialty certifying boards of the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and was established in 1956.
The American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics (AOBP) is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of medical diseases in infants, children, and adolescents (pediatricians). The board is one 18 medical specialty certifying boards of the American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists approved by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), and was established in 1940. Certification in pediatrics has grown to over 1,000 diplomates over the last decade. It was reported in 2011, 477 osteopathic pediatricians held active certification with the AOBP. With single accreditation in place both osteopathic and allopathic residency training candidates are eligible to examine for certification with the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics.
Neuromusculoskeletal medicine (NMM), now more formally known as Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (ONMM), is a medical specialty of American osteopathic medicine. Physicians trained in the specialty focus on the clinical evaluation and management of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and its related visceral and somatic structures. Both American DOs and MDs have the option to train and practice in any of the medical specialties and subspecialties. Neuromusculoskeletal medicine is a specialty which is dominated by DOs, but MDs may also become certified. ONMM physicians complete residency training that includes advanced training on the integration of osteopathic principles into inpatient and outpatient care. They have specialized expertise in the indications, risks, benefits, and application of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) for treatment of patients with neuromusculoskeletal and visceral disorders.
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