Complete Care
D.O.s are complete physicians. That means they are fully trained and licensed to prescribe medication and to perform surgery. D.O.s and M.D.s are the only two types of complete physicians in the United States.
D.O.s practice in all specialties of medicine from emergency medicine and cardiovascular surgery to psychiatry and geriatrics. However, D.O.s are trained to be generalists first and specialists second. The majority are family-oriented, primary care physicians. Many D.O.s practice in small towns, where they often care for entire families and whole communities.
Some facts about osteopathic physicians:
- D.O.s are one of the fastest growing segments of health care professionals in the United States. By the year 2020, it is estimated that at least 100,000 osteopathic physicians will be in active medical practice.
- Approximately 65% of practicing D.O.s specialize in the primary care areas of family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics.
- D.O.s represent 6% of the total U.S. physician population.
- Many D.O.s fill a critical need for physicians by practicing in rural and other medically underserved communities.
- Osteopathic physicians have treated US presidents and Olympic athletes. They have contributed to the fight against AIDS and the fight for civil rights. They have held high-ranking positions, such as the surgeon general of the US Army and the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration