Osteopath Vs. MD: How Does Training Differ?

Osteopathic medicine is more than 100 years old. It was developed in 1874 by Dr. Andrew Taylor who was disenchanted with conventional medicine and believed that the musculoskeletal system was a key to health.

The Training of a Medical Doctor

• The conventional medical doctor, also known as an allopathic physician, receives an MD (doctor of medicine) degree by completing education and training requirements. The medical doctor must graduate from an accredited college, take the medical college admissions test, complete four years of an accredited medical school and fulfill a residency requirement in order to become licensed and practice medicine.

The Similar Training of an Osteopathic Doctor

• The doctor of osteopathic medicine receives a DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine) degree by fulfilling the same number of years of education and training as the medical doctor. However, the philosophical leaning that the osteopathic doctor receives through training is different. Osteopathic medicine focuses more on prevention than allopathic training, as well as treating the whole person.

Additional Training

• The doctor of osteopathic medicine does extra training in osteopathic medicine to become skilled in manual medicine designed to balance the body through the musculoskeletal system. This additional training allows osteopaths to utilize manual medicine therapies, including spinal manipulation and massage, in their medical practices.