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The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 207,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students.
In addition to advancing the distinctive philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine, the AOA promotes public health, encourages scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for DOs and acts as the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical schools.
Jan. 29, 2026: AOA, joined by 56 divisional societies and specialty colleges, reaffirms commitment to unimpeded access to care
Joined by 56 Divisional Societies and Specialty Colleges, the AOA reaffirmed its commitment to unimpeded access to healthcare for all individuals, whether it be in-person or through telehealth. Ensuring that our patients can seek medical care in environments where they feel safe seeking treatment, free from barriers that impede access to lifesaving services, is essential.
Jan. 7, 2026: AOA statement on new HHS guidelines decreasing childhood vaccine recommendations
The AOA supports immunizations as essential preventive care that shield individuals from avoidable illnesses and curb the spread of disease. We affirm our commitment to a patient-centered approach to care, emphasizing shared decision-making fostered by trust between patients and physicians. As a dedicated organization promoting public health, we view vaccination as a vital defense against avoidable illness.
The AOA affirms that decisions about care—particularly for children and adolescents—are best made through careful, collaborative discussions among patients, families and qualified healthcare professionals. Osteopathic physicians are trained to treat the whole person and to work collaboratively with patients, families and interdisciplinary care teams to determine the most appropriate course of care based on current medical evidence and individual patient needs.
We remain dedicated to advocating for policies that support high-quality, evidence-based care, enabling physicians to fulfill their ethical obligation to act in the best interests of their patients.
Nov. 21, 2025: American Osteopathic Association statement on CDC website changes regarding autism and vaccines
The AOA is deeply concerned by the recent changes to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine and autism information. While discussions around autism are important, it is equally important to reinforce what decades of research have consistently shown: vaccines do not cause autism.
“Parents deserve clear, science-based information they can rely on,” said AOA President Robert G.G. Piccinini, DO, D.FACN. “The medical community has thoroughly examined this question for more than two decades, and the evidence has been unequivocal: vaccines are not linked to autism. Our priority is ensuring families feel supported, informed and protected from misinformation. Vaccines remain one of the greatest achievements in modern medicine, preventing severe illness, disability and death for millions.”
Sept. 23, 2025: AOA urges evidence-based and routine vaccination for patients
As a physician organization dedicated to promoting public health, the AOA regards vaccination as one of the most powerful tools to prevent infectious diseases and avoidable illness. We rely on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to provide transparent vaccine recommendations that are rooted in credible authority and evidence-based research. However, recent actions by the ACIP, to limit access to routine and emergent immunizations, hinder evidence-based decision making and create confusion on current evidence.
June 12, 2025: AOA responds to removal of CDC vaccine committee members
The AOA is deeply concerned by the recent removal of all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As a physician organization dedicated to promoting public health, we regard vaccination as a primary defense against avoidable illness and rely on the ACIP to provide transparent vaccine recommendations that are rooted in credible authority and evidence-based research.
Feb. 13, 2025: AOA urges Congress to protect Medicaid program
The AOA implores the preservation of the Medicaid program during the budget reconciliation process. For decades, the Medicaid program has provided health care coverage for millions of people, including children and parents, low-income adults, older adults, pregnant patients, individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, and individuals with disabilities, in communities large and small, urban and rural.
Medicaid is a lifeline for our nation’s most vulnerable: from visits with a primary care physician, to maternal health care and pediatrics, from labor and delivery services to behavioral health, as well as additional preventive care that saves lives. To that end, it is of the utmost importance that Congress protect this vital program.
There are two types of physicians in the U.S.: Medical Doctors (MDs) and Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs). Their training and education are similar and equally rigorous, involving four years of medical school followed by specialty training in a residency program. Both types of physicians practice in every medical and surgical specialty in the United States.
DOs bring a unique approach to the practice of medicine, focusing on prevention by examining how a patient’s lifestyle and environment impact well-being. As part of their education, DOs receive extra training in the musculoskeletal system (the body’s interconnected system of muscles, bones and joints), enabling them to provide patients with an advanced level of comprehensive care.
Today, there are approximately 149,000 licensed and practicing osteopathic physicians in the US, which is just over 11% of the physician population. Osteopathic medicine is the fastest growing medical field in the US, and one in four medical students in the United States is training to be an osteopathic physician.
Osteopathic medicine is practiced by Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, or DOs, who make up 11% of the physician population in the US.
The osteopathic philosophy of medicine sees an interrelated unity in all systems of the body, with each working with the other to heal in times of illness.
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) represents more than 207,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and osteopathic medical students. In addition to advancing the distinctive philosophy and practice of osteopathic medicine, the AOA promotes public health, encourages scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for DOs and acts as the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical schools. Learn more about DOs and their distinctive body, mind, spirit approach to care.
‘Osteopathic physician’ and ‘osteopathic medicine’ are the terms to use for DOs. ‘Osteopath’ and ‘osteopathy’ refer to foreign-trained, non-physician healthcare professionals.
Osteopathic physician (DO) should be used when referring to a fully licensed physician who graduated from an accredited osteopathic medical school in the United States and is qualified to prescribe medication and practice in all specialty areas including surgery.
Osteopath describes a healthcare provider trained outside of the United States who does not qualify for licensure for the unlimited practice of medicine.
Osteopathic medicine should be used when referring to medicine practiced by osteopathic physicians who graduate from accredited osteopathic medical schools in the United States. Osteopathy should only be used when referring to the occupation of osteopaths trained outside of the United States who do not qualify for licensure for the unlimited practice of medicine.
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine is the proper name for the degree granted by osteopathic medical schools in the United States and is represented by the acronym DO. Do not use Doctor of Osteopathy. DO also may be used in place of osteopathic physician.
Use the DO designation when referring to an osteopathic physician in the first reference:
State a DO’s specialty as:
Hold more than one professional degree? Use:
Use the terms family medicine and family physician instead of general practice and general practitioner.
Refer to osteopathic medical schools with their osteopathic identification:
Like MDs, DOs complete four years of medical school, followed by post-graduate training that may include an internship, residency and fellowship. Physicians licensed as DOs, like their MD counterparts, must pass a stringent national medical board examination and complete post-graduate training in order to be eligible for state licensure. DOs and MDs may also become board-certified in the practice of their medical specialty.
One way in which DOs are distinct from MDs is they receive an additional 200 hours of training in osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). Through their training, DOs come to understand the body’s musculoskeletal system, an interconnected system of nerves, muscles and bones.
DOs partner with patients to help them get healthy and stay well. They take a whole-person approach to treatment and care, focusing on the body, mind and spirit of their patients. DOs practicing OMM provide diagnosis and treatment through a system of techniques that also help alleviate pain, restore motion and support the body’s structure to help it function more efficiently.
View the AOA’s annual Osteopathic Medical Profession (OMP) report for more information and current data on osteopathic medicine.