Plenty of applicants apply to osteopathic programs because they know they want to be DOs. You may have visions of that MD after your name. But if you're interested in holistic medical practices and primary care especially, one of the accredited DO programs in the United States might be right for you.
In May 2021, the American Osteopathic Association's Physician Masterfile reported that 56.5% of osteopathic doctors practiced primary care. That covers a broad set of opportunities, including becoming an OB/GYN and a pediatrician. In 2022, nine Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine were in U.S. News & World Report's list of the top 10 schools with the most graduates practicing primary care. (Yep, them and one allopathic school.)
There is no shame in the DO game. One in four medical students in the United States attends an osteopathic program, according to the AOA. Much of an osteopathic classroom and clinical medical education is like an allopathic one. Additionally, osteopathic programs involve 200 hours of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) training, which focuses on the spine, bones, and muscles.
You can find out more about osteopathic programs by attending an American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) virtual fair. Their ChooseDo.org website for prospective students can also give you valuable info on programs, tuition, application deadlines, etc.
Shadowing an osteopathic doctor will give you an idea of their day-to-day practice. And you'll have plenty of DOs to choose from: The 2020-21 Osteopathic Medical Profession(OMP) Report stated that there were 135,000 osteopathic physicians in America in 2021—an 80% increase over the past decade. DOs make up 11% of doctors and 26%of medical students in the country. And according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, 99.3% of DO graduates are placed in residencies.
If you're applying to an osteopathic program, you should have shadowed a DO or better yet worked with one. You'll also need a recommendation letter from an osteopathic physician—and we mean need—you must show a real interest here.
When You Should Apply: The AACOM application opens in May. Deadlines for osteopathic programs are in February and March. You can checkout the AACOM Choose DO Explorer for exact dates for each school. But we’d like to see you apply to these programs in October, just as allopathic schools start getting back to applicants.
For more information on your Medical School options, check out our Pre-Application tutorial, available here.
In May 2021, the American Osteopathic Association's Physician Masterfile reported that 56.5% of osteopathic doctors practiced primary care. That covers a broad set of opportunities, including becoming an OB/GYN and a pediatrician. In 2022, nine Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine were in U.S. News & World Report's list of the top 10 schools with the most graduates practicing primary care. (Yep, them and one allopathic school.)
There is no shame in the DO game. One in four medical students in the United States attends an osteopathic program, according to the AOA. Much of an osteopathic classroom and clinical medical education is like an allopathic one. Additionally, osteopathic programs involve 200 hours of osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) training, which focuses on the spine, bones, and muscles.
You can find out more about osteopathic programs by attending an American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) virtual fair. Their ChooseDo.org website for prospective students can also give you valuable info on programs, tuition, application deadlines, etc.
Shadowing an osteopathic doctor will give you an idea of their day-to-day practice. And you'll have plenty of DOs to choose from: The 2020-21 Osteopathic Medical Profession(OMP) Report stated that there were 135,000 osteopathic physicians in America in 2021—an 80% increase over the past decade. DOs make up 11% of doctors and 26%of medical students in the country. And according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, 99.3% of DO graduates are placed in residencies.
If you're applying to an osteopathic program, you should have shadowed a DO or better yet worked with one. You'll also need a recommendation letter from an osteopathic physician—and we mean need—you must show a real interest here.
When You Should Apply: The AACOM application opens in May. Deadlines for osteopathic programs are in February and March. You can checkout the AACOM Choose DO Explorer for exact dates for each school. But we’d like to see you apply to these programs in October, just as allopathic schools start getting back to applicants.
For more information on your Medical School options, check out our Pre-Application tutorial, available here.
