QUICK FACTS OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Description: Osteopathic medicine is a distinctive form of medicine practiced in the United States. Osteopathic physicians use all of the tools and technology available to modern medicine with the added benefits of a holistic philosophy and a system of hands-on diagnosis and treatment known as osteopathic manipulative medicine. Doctors of osteopathic medicine emphasize helping each person achieve a high level of wellness by focusing on health education, injury prevention, and disease prevention. While most D.O.s practice primary care, many specialize in a wide variety of practice areas. Medical school for osteopathic physicians is like that for allopathic physicians and D.O.s may be licensed by the the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners or by the taking the United States Medical Licensure Examination which is traditionally used by the allopathic medical schools.

Salary and employment opportunities: Like that for allopathic physicians (MDs).

Education required:

Undergraduate: Bachelor’s degree. Any major is acceptable if pre-requisites for admission to the medical school are met.

Professional: 4 years of medical school followed by at least 3 years of residency training. Degree received is the Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.).

Admission requirements:

Required courses: May vary somewhat for the different schools of osteopathic medicine.
All require: 8 hours of Biology (at least)
  8 hours of General Chemistry
  8 hours of Organic Chemistry
  8 hours of Physics
  Some have requirements for Biochemistry, additional Biology courses, or behavioral science courses.
Grade Point Average: For 2005 applicants the average gpa was 3.38. For those admitted the gpa was slightly higher.
Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT): Applicants to Osteopathic Medical Schools are required to submit scores from the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
The average scores for the 2005 applicants were verbal reasoning 7.96 biological sciences 8.32 physical sciences 7.77
Again, the averages for those admitted were slightly higher