Osteopathy 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 US states; they have historically applied for medical licensure in 87 countries outside of the United States, 85 of which provided them with the full scope of medical and surgical practice. The field is distinct from osteopathic practices offered in nations outside of the U.S., whose practitioners are generally not considered part of core medical staff nor of medicine itself, but rather are alternative medicine practitioners. The other major branch of medicine in the United States is referred to by practitioners of osteopathic medicine as allopathic medicine.
Des Moines University (DMU) is a private medical school in West Des Moines, Iowa. Founded in 1898, Des Moines University is the second oldest osteopathic medical school and the fifteenth largest medical school in the United States. DMU's three colleges—the College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, and College of Health Sciences—offer nine academic degrees, including master’s and doctorate degrees.
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.
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 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research and scientific association of physicians organized to raise the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and to improve patient care.
The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) is a non-profit organization that supports the 41 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) in the United States. These colleges are accredited to deliver instruction at 66 teaching locations in 35 states. In the current academic year, these colleges are educating more than 35,000 future physicians—25 percent of all U.S. medical students. Seven of the colleges are public and 34 are private institutions.
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-KPCOM) is a private medical school in Davie, Florida. It is an academic division of Nova Southeastern University. The college was founded in 1981 as the only osteopathic medical school located in the Southeastern United States at the time. It confers the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation.
Most physicians in the United States hold either the Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) or the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree (DO). 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 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.
The Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) is a private medical school with a main campus in the neighborhood of Central Harlem in New York City and an additional campus in Middletown, New York. It is a division of Touro College and University System.
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 osteopathy, but has become a distinct profession.
The Canadian Osteopathic Association (COA) is a professional association of osteopathic physicians in Canada. The COA has partnered with Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine to increase the number of osteopathic physicians practising in Canada.
The Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM) is one of the two public medical schools of Michigan State University, a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. The college grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree, as well as a DO-PhD combined degree for students interested in training as physician-scientists. MSUCOM operates two satellite campuses in Clinton Township and Detroit. The college is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) and by the Higher Learning Commission.
The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is a private medical school in Dothan, Alabama. It is the first osteopathic medical school in the state and is believed to be the first osteopathic medical school in the nation established by a regional not-for-profit hospital.
The Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine is the medical school of Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was the first osteopathic medical school to open at a Roman Catholic university.
The Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) is a national, not-for-profit osteopathic medical organization founded to ensure a high quality of education for osteopathic medical students, to promote unity within the osteopathic medical profession, and to improve the delivery of healthcare by Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) SOMA is the student affiliate organization of the American Osteopathic Association and works with all chapters to foster communication between government at the local and national levels and the osteopathic medical profession.
Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) is a private graduate medical school located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is one of the seventeen colleges and schools located in Liberty University. LUCOM was the second osteopathic medical school to open in the U.S. state of Virginia after the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2018, the inaugural class of 126 medical students graduated.
The Canadian Osteopathic Medical Student Association (COMSA) is a student body that works to promote awareness of Osteopathic Medicine in Canada both among the general population and the future physicians of Canada. They are affiliated with the Canadian Osteopathic Association.
California Health Sciences University (CHSU) is a private, for-profit university located in Clovis, in the U.S. state of California. Founded in 2012, the school operates two academic programs, which offer doctoral degrees in pharmacy and osteopathic medicine. Graduates of the College of Osteopathic Medicine will receive the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. The College of Osteopathic Medicine is fully pre-accredited by the American Osteopathic Association's (AOA) Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA).
