Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine

Overview
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O. or DO) is an academic degree offered in the United States. It is a graduate-level first professional degree for physicians and surgeons, requiring four years to complete. Holders of the D.O. degree are known as osteopathic physicians. D.O.s are trained much in the same way as M.D.s, with the addition of osteopathic manipulative medicine techniques. The existence of this distinction and of D.O.s as licensed physicians is not widely known.

In the United States, the D.O. and the M.D. are the only two degrees permitting licensure as medical physicians. D.O and M.D. physicians have similar training (both requiring 4 years of training in the basic and clinical sciences and include licensing exams) but osteopathic physicians receive additional training in Osteopathic Manual Manipulation. Although U. S. osteopathic medical physicians currently may obtain licensure in 47 countries, osteopathic curricula in countries other than the United States differs. D.O.s outside the U. S. are known as "osteopaths" and their scope of practice excludes some conventional medical therapies, relying more exclusively on osteopathic manipulative medicine and other alternative medical modalities.

International variations in the D.O. degree
In the United States, doctors of osteopathic medicine are physicians who are also trained in osteopathic manipulative medicine.

In France, Germany,and Switzerland, some osteopathic practitioners are M.D.s who take additional courses in osteopathy after completing their medical training. In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, “osteopaths" are trained in osteopathic principles and osteopathic manipulative treatment but are not physicians.

According to the BIOMEA, in most countries outside the United States, D.O. stands for “diploma of osteopathy,” not “doctor of osteopathic medicine.” The difference is that osteopaths are not trained or licensed as physicians, and therefore do not carry the same practice rights, such as surgery and prescribing medication. However, osteopaths in some countries do act as primary care providers, coordinating treatment with fully licensed primary care physicians.

International practice rights
[[Image:DOworld.PNG|thumb|300px|right|International practice rights of U.S. trained D.O.s

{{legend|#008001|Practice rights generally recognized as equal to U.S.-M.D.s}} {{legend|#808040|Unlimited practice rights granted, but difficult to obtain}} {{legend|#800000|Limited to manipulation-only}} {{legend|#C0C0C0|Unknown or previously denied}}]]

Every country has different requirements and a different way of licensing or registering osteopathic physicians and osteopaths. The only osteopathic practitioners that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes as physicians are graduates of osteopathic medical colleges in the United States. Therefore, osteopaths who have trained outside the United States are not eligible for medical licensure in the United States. On the other hand, US-trained D.O.s are currently able to practice in 45 countries with full medical rights and in several others with restricted rights.

The following is a table of International Practice Rights of U.S trained Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine, as listed by the American Osteopathic Association. An update of this listing was released in December 2007.